Smoking during pregnancy has hidden dangers.

The dangers of smoking and exposure to second hand smoke are widely known. If you smoke during pregnancy, it only makes sense that those dangers would affect your unborn child as well. There have been many studies done regarding this subject. These studies show the connection between smoking during pregnancy and health problems in the babies. Smoking during pregnancy has been positively linked with many medical problems. Moreover, even if the pregnant mother does not smoke, yet is exposed to second hand smoke, then the dangers still exist for the baby. The rest of this article will deal with several serious and dangerous consequences for the baby when the mother smokes while pregnant.

One of the known worst case consequences from smoking during pregnancy is death for the child. SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome, is more likely in young babies exposed to second hand smoke. SIDS is when a child under the age of one dies with no apparent cause as to why. This is obviously an extreme risk to take as a pregnant mother. If more women were aware of the risks of smoking while pregnant, we believe that more would work harder to quit. We mentioned earlier that when a mother smokes while pregnant her child can have compromised lung functions. Lung related issues such as asthma and a greater tendency for pneumonia is more likely in children whose mothers smoke while pregnant. Bronchitis and other chronic respiratory symptoms are also more common for these children. These problems also involve your child's immune system. So in addition to what was just mentioned, it is known that there is a general tendency toward susceptibility toward infections.

The immediate, physical consequences of smoking while pregnant is naturally the focus. There is increasing evidence that shows a correlation between smoking during pregnancy and behavioral problems in the child. This includes learning disabilities and general behavioral issues.

There is tremendous cause for concern when a mother smokes during pregnancy.

The negative effects of smoking on her baby are numerous and are not completely understood. The issues discussed have mainly focused on the unborn baby but these problems don't disappear after birth. These far reaching consequences can stay with the child far into adulthood. Many of the dire consequences of smoking while pregnant have lifelong effects. Quitting smoking is vital to the baby and the mother for this reason.