Statistic shows that those babies born to heavy smoker average weight half a pound less than baby of non-smokers. Also evidence suggest that smoking may increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome and other problems like lower IQ, hearing deficits, asthma, respiratory infection, and cancer. Most of pregnant women carrion smoking after giving birth so they expose their children to teratogens before and after they are born. ( Siegler et
A mother who smokes two packs a day could take over a pound and a half off the baby’s weight at birth. The baby could also have problems such as underdeveloped lungs and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Women who smoke while pregnant can cause a number of health issues for their baby. Not only will smoking harm the baby, but it also harms the person who is smoking in the first place. There are over 4,000 harmful chemicals in cigarettes.
Illicit use of these drugs can lead to low birth weight, breathing difficulties, death, and of course the possibility of the baby being born addicted to the drug. Drug addictions in infants present themselves as irritability, fevers, and piercing cries. More specifically, cocaine use during pregnancy can cause physical deformities in the child’s eyes, bones, genitals, urinary tract, kidneys and heart and acute growth retardation. They may also experience seizures and hemorrhages. While many people believe that marijuana may not be as harmful as these other drugs, it can still affect the infant in a few ways.
Also common with maternal smoking is Sudden Infant Death Syndrom (SIDS). This is when infants under the age of 6 months stop breathing and die for no apparent reason. Passive smoking is also a great danger to an unborn child. Studies have shown that passive smoke can cause a delay in intellectual and behavioural development, and babies exposed in the utero to passive smoke are at increased risk of pneumonia, bronchitis and laryngitis(Ross Parke & Mary Gauvain 2009). Having both parents
Working with babies from birth to 12 months The main factors that affect the health and development of babies in there first year are smoking, alcohol, drugs, quality of care and love, stimulation, nutrition, infections, medical conditions and genetic factors. Smoking restricts the amount of oxygen they receive in the worm and it affects their growth and development. When woman smoke during pregnancy their unborn baby is at risk of a low birth weight. Prematurity is a risk as the baby would find it difficult to develop and the woman would give birth before 38 weeks. Other related effects that include a higher incidence of cot death and asthma.
It impairs the breathing after birth, and increases the likeliness of prematurity. Smoking effects the growth of the baby and the brain development in many ways. Nicotine narrows the uterine blood vessels, thus reducing blood flow to the baby. Smoking also puts the oxygen blocker carbon monoxide into the blood that nourishes the baby. Levels of carbon monoxide have been measured at six to seven times
A baby born with an Omphalocele has a higher risk for complications than a baby with Gastroschisis for many reasons. Gastroschisis is usually the only birth defect the baby has, but it is possible for them to have others. With a Gastroschisis baby, since the intestines are exposed, they could begin too dry out, and the baby may have problems regulating their body heat. There is also a possibility of some of the intestines dying, and they will have to be removed. They also need special care to prevent infection.
This is called choridal neovascularization. These blood vessels leak blood and fluid into the retina, causing distortion of vision. The dry form of macular can also lead to the wet form. Only about 10% of patients with macular degeneration develop the wet form, they make up the majority who experience serious vision loss from the disease. Macular degeneration can be passed from parent to child, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and being light skinned, female and having light eye color are also risks for macular degeneration (webmd copy write 2005-2014, LLC) Glaucoma is an eye disease characterized by dysfunction of the ocular drainage system.
Multiple birth babies are at increased risk of low birth weight because they are often pre mature. Moreover, excessive stress and victim of domestic violence or other abuse also may increase the risk of low birth weight. Babies who have low birth weight are more likely to have health problems than babies born normally. Many of the premature and low birth weight babies lack enough body fat to uphold a normal body temperature, and have medical problems. Some of the medical problems that infants with low birth weight have are that they have the risk of developing breath problems such as the respiration distress syndrome.
Carbon Monoxide and Nicotine are generally the two main elements that cause effects in the Placenta, cardiovascular and central nervous, which all are causes of low birth weight and other problems effecting the infant before and after birth. According to research “ Carbon monoxide has a higher affinity for hemoglobin than oxygen, quickly forming the compound carboxyhemoglobin which is unable to carry oxygen. The formation of this molecule leads to a potential for decreased oxygen delivery to the fetus and fetal hypoxia. Nicotine is generally regarded”(Cigarette Smoking, Pregnancy and the Developing Fetus By Krisa Van Meurs, MD Associate Professor of Pediatrics Stanford University School of Medicine. September 5, 1999 ).