So, how does alcohol and smoking affect pregnancy?
Smoking of a mother is a risk both for the child and for the mother. When smoking (no matter how much you smoke cigarettes per day), the risk increases, for an unfavorable termination of pregnancy.
With a cigarette smoked by a woman, a spasm of blood vessels occurs in the placenta and the fetus experiences a few minutes when there is not enough oxygen, that is, oxygen starvation. And in connection with oxygen starvation, there is a delay in the development of the intrauterine fetus. All components of tobacco smoke are very toxic and easily penetrate into the placenta, which negatively affects the child. Moreover, the concentration of toxic substances is much higher in the body of the child than in the mother's blood. Complications of childbirth and pregnancy, premature birth, spontaneous abortions occur much more often in women who smoke.
Women who smoke during pregnancy risk having an overly excitable child with a lack of attention. Such children are characterized by increased irritability and impulsiveness at an early age.
Children born of smoking parents are most susceptible to diseases of the lungs and respiratory tract. One-third more often than other babies, they risk getting obesity or diabetes mellitus. And, finally, such children are much more likely to smoke than children born to non-smoking mothers.
From all that has been said above, it can be concluded that smoking can even significantly compromise a baby's health before birth. Therefore, the earlier you decide to get rid of such a bad habit, the better for your child and, of course, for you.
At the same time, a large number of pregnant non-smoking women can be exposed both at home and at work to the effects of tobacco smoke, so it is necessary to avoid places where people who smoke are going to. Or if you are in an elevator or some other closed room, you need to ask a smoking person so that he does not smoke, in your presence. Believe me, even such a small amount of tobacco smoke can harm a future child.
What is harmful for pregnancy?
The use of alcohol during the period when a woman carries a child significantly increases the risk of birth of premature and inferior children, and in some cases - the development of alcoholic fetal syndrome. This is due to the fact that alcohol has an easy patency through the placenta in the fetus.
Alcoholic fetus syndrome is a disease of a future child, which begins because of intrauterine alcohol damage. This is often the main reason when a child has an inborn delay in intellectual development. With this syndrome, there are specific facial abnormalities: strabismus, nasolabial fold smooth, flattening of the occiput, and also a characteristic lag in intellectual and physical development. Such children are usually restless, irritable, with poor coordination, a grasping reflex is not developed.
During the embryonic period (first trimester), if a woman consumes alcohol, it will break not only the psyche, but also the development of all the organs of the child.
Many say that a huge number of women who drink during pregnancy, give birth to normal, full-fledged children. Everything in life is possible. But do you need this risk? We recommend that you give up these nine months from drinking alcohol and smoking for the sake of the health and happiness of your unborn child!