Miscarriage Risk Increases If Parents Smoked

Women who were exposed to their parents’ smoking as children may have a higher likelihood of suffering a miscarriage, new research suggests.In a study of nearly 2,200 non-smoking pregnant women, researchers found that those exposed to their parents’ secondhand smoke during childhood were 80 percent more likely to have a miscarriage compared with women whose parents didn’t smoke.

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Second hand smoke can increase the risk of miscarriages. Women who are exposed to smoking in their childhood are likely to suffer from miscarriages.

Women in childhood who are exposed to second hand smoke when their parents smoke at the time of pregnancy or after the delivery, are at greater risk.

Second hand smoke is a combination of two types of smoke: mainstream and side stream smoke. Mainstream cigarette smoke is defined as the smoke exhaled by the individual who is smoking. Sidestream smoke is defined as the smoke which comes from one end of the burning cigarette.

When a person is exposed to secondhand smoke, he or she will experience irritation in the eyes, sneezing, runny nose, coughing and headache.

If mother smokes during pregnancy, she is likely to vomit and get urinary infections. Cot deaths also increase with smoking during pregnancy. Miscarriage risk increases by 27 percent as the baby is at the risk of developing respiratory illnesses.

When a pregnant woman is exposed to smoke, she inhales toxic substances like formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide and arsenic. When mother breathes, the same thing her baby breathes. Pregnant women exposed to second hand smoke expose the fetus to the same risk that would result if the mother smoked.

Secondhand smoke can affect the growth of baby in the womb by reducing the levels of oxygen and causing blood vessels in the placenta to narrow. The baby lives in the amniotic fluids in the womb, which will be filled with the chemicals from the cigarette and these chemicals can cause cancer. Therefore, the baby’s heart beat in abnormal rate.

Smoking and secondhand smoke should be avoided by every one to prevent miscarriage:

  • Home and car should be smoke free
  • A person should not smoke in child’s bedroom
  • Sitting in non-smoking areas
  • Visiting malls and restaurants which are smoke free
  • If any family member smokes, ask them to quit or do not allow them to smoke inside the house