If you’re expecting – stop smoking… even if you’re already well into your pregnancy

By quitting smoking during the fourth month of pregnancy you will reduce any increased risk of prematurity associated with maternal smoking to zero.

In fact you will bring this risk down to the same level that applies to pregnant women who do not smoke. This in itself is a strong encouragement to give up smoking, even if you are already well into your pregnancy…

There are many dangers associated with smoking during pregnancy. First of all there is the risk of extra-uterine pregnancy. This increases by 50% when the mother-to-be smokes more than 10 cigarettes a day, by 300% if she smokes 20 cigarettes and by as much as 500% once over the 30 cigarettes a day level! Spontaneous abortions or miscarriages are also three times more common among women who smoke. And the risk of premature birth increases by 20% if a woman smokes one packet of cigarettes a day.

Hence the absolute necessity for pregnant women to give up smoking. Researchers from Australia and New Zealand monitored 2,500 pregnant women and found no difference in the prematurity rates of non-smokers and women who had given up smoking by at least the fourth month of pregnancy. However, premature births were far more common among those who continued smoking to the end of their pregnancy.