The Startling Danger Of Just One Cigarette
A recent study highlights the risks associated with smoking even a small amount of cigarettes before or during pregnancy. The research reveals that infants are 16% more likely to experience significant health issues if their mothers engaged in light smoking—defined as one or two cigarettes daily—prior to pregnancy. Additionally, these newborns have a 13% greater likelihood of needing neonatal intensive care.
The study, which contradicts the belief held by some women that light smoking or smoking early in pregnancy is relatively harmless, shows that these risks increase with the quantity of cigarettes smoked and remain elevated even if the mother quits smoking midway through her pregnancy.
Dr. Bo Xi, a professor of epidemiology at Shandong University in Jinan, China, led the research team and emphasized that there is no safe level of cigarette smoking before or during pregnancy. The findings suggest that doctors should stress the harmful effects of even minimal smoking during this critical period.
In the United States, approximately 10% of pregnant women smoke. Smoking during pregnancy is linked to various adverse outcomes, including preterm birth, low birth weight, and developmental issues. However, the impact of smoking’s timing and intensity on newborns remains not fully understood.
The study analyzed data from over 12 million mothers who delivered between 2016 and 2019 in the U.S. Of these, more than 9% reported smoking before pregnancy, while 7% smoked during the first trimester, 7% in the second, and 6% in the third trimester. Researchers examined whether newborns required additional medical interventions such as ventilation, treatment for lung issues, blood infections, or severe neurological conditions.
Results indicated that any level of smoking before or during pregnancy elevated the risk of these serious health problems in newborns. Specifically, smoking before pregnancy increased the risk of multiple neonatal health issues by 27%, while smoking during pregnancy raised the risk by 31% to 32%. Newborns were 24% more likely to need intensive care if their mother smoked before pregnancy, with the likelihood increasing to 30% to 32% if she smoked during pregnancy.
The study also found that even minimal smoking—one or two cigarettes a day—elevated the risk of health problems for the baby, with the risk intensifying with the amount smoked. For instance, smoking 20 or more cigarettes daily increased the risk of health issues in newborns by 31% and the need for intensive care by 29%, compared to the 16% and 13% increased risks associated with light smoking.
Published on August 20 in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, the study concludes that quitting smoking during pregnancy does not fully mitigate the risk of health problems for the infant.
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