You can give your baby the best gift of his/her life right now – before he/she is even born!
That gift? The best chance possible of being born healthy! How? Start now by eliminating all smoking including avoiding second-hand smoke and by not drinking any alcohol. Read on to find out what can happen to your unborn baby now and after birth if exposed to smoke and alcohol.
Smoke
Both first and second-hand smoke. (Second-hand smoke is smoke that you inhale from someone near you smoking a cigarette, cigar or pipe.)
Second-hand smoke is very dangerous as the smoke you and, therefore, your baby are breathing is unfiltered. Both of you are inhaling more of the known carcinogens and dangerous chemicals.
When you smoke so does your unborn baby.
1. This poisons the baby’s environment.
2. The baby is swimming in nicotine.
3. You are passing on nicotine and carbon monoxide to your baby.
Smoking constricts blood vessels, including the umbilical cord which is the baby’s life line.
1. This decreases the baby’s supply of oxygen.
2. The decrease in oxygen affects the baby’s lungs, brain and other developing organs.
3. The decrease in oxygen can cause an increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth and low birth weight
Babies born either prematurely or very small have many problems.
1. They often have trouble eating, breathing and growing.
2. They often need to be in a neonatal care unit (intensive care unit for newborns and premature babies) for the first few months of life, which causes separation from parents as well as huge expenses.
3. These babies are at an increased risk for colds, asthma, allergies, ear infections, respiratory infections and flu.
4. They are also at a greater risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
5. These babies often score lower on tests, have difficulty in school and have an increased risk of behavior problems.
Alcohol
(wine, beer, mixed drinks, wine coolers)
There is no safe amount of alcohol or safe time to drink during pregnancy. Any amount of drinking beer, wine or hard liquor can damage a baby’s developing brain and nervous system. Binge drinking is especially harmful.
The baby gets a higher concentration of alcohol and it stays in the baby’s system longer than the mother’s.
• Alcohol is a toxin that disrupts the growing brain.
• 1 in 100 babies is born damaged by alcohol.
• Alcohol is one of the most common known causes of mental and physical birth defects. Some of these are listed below.
1. delayed development
2. behavior problems
3. slow growth before or after birth
4. heart defect or other organ problems
5. vision and hearing problems
6. small facial changes, short in height, have smaller heads
7. difficulty with sensory integration
8. verbal difficulties
9. problems with fine motor skills
10. increased risk of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder
11. poor impulse control and poor judgment
12. learning problems in school
13. premature birth or undersized babies (see smoking above for problems associated with this)
Start being a good mother today. Give your baby every possible chance for being the most perfect baby born.
Talk to your doctor about any concerns or questions you have about smoking and drinking alcohol during your pregnancy. YOU just need to take that first step and ask for help.
Women’s Center-Sidney is located behind Culver’s Restaurant at 2579 Michigan Avenue near Walmart. Women can make a free initial appointment online by going to www.womenscenterohio.com and going to the Sidney location page. To schedule an appointment over the phone or to learn more about the services we provide, call 937-498-4425. We can be reached by email at info@womenscenterohio.com. All Women’s Center-Sidney’s services are free and confidential.
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