Ask Dr. Smith
Dr. Amanda Smith is a renowned paediatrician and child health expert. She received her PhD in medicine in 1995, from Queen’ s University in Kingston, Ontario. After completing her medical residency, she opened up her own practice in Ottawa, Ontario, treating dozens of patients each day. She has completed research on many new medical breakthroughs in child medicine. Dr. Smith has also published several research papers in well known medical journals.
Hi, Ms. Smith!
I recently found out that I was pregnant unexpectedly. I was naturally overjoyed, but there is only one problem. I have smoked cigarettes since I was in my teen years. I have tried to quit in the past to no success. I make it a few days but eventually cave into my cravings for nicotine. I know smoking is harmful to my child, but what exactly are the effects, and how can I quit for good?
Sincerely, Unhappily Addicted
Dear Unhappily Addicted,
First of all, let me congratulate you on your drive to quit smoking! It is certainly a hard step, but one that will benefit your baby in the long run. As for the effects of cigarettes, they can be rather harsh and longterm for the health of your child. Have you ever heard the phrase“ everything that happens to the mother happens to the baby?” Well, this is very true. When a pregnant woman smokes, the dangerous chemicals present in the cigarette( nicotine and carbon monoxide, among others) get carried through her bloodstream and to the baby via the placenta. This can have catastrophic effects on the fetus, such as lowering the amount of oxygen available to the baby. In turn the lack of oxygen can cause brain defects and other long term injuries to the baby. As for quitting smoking, there are many resources you can use to successfully conquer this addiction, but you also must realize that some of the more traditional aids such as nicotine patches or pills cannot be used. You really have two options: you can either quite cold turkey( either with the help of counselling or not), or go ahead and use nicotine replacement pills, sprays, or patches. Quitting cold turkey can be extremely hard but without risk of harm from nicotine to the fetus, while using nicotine replacements may contribute to low birth weight and other defects. Either way, you must quit smoking in the early stages of your pregnancy, before any long term damage can be sustained to your child. It may be hard at first, but it is one of the best decisions you can make.
For more resources on how to quit smoking successfully, please visit: http:// www. babycenter. com / 0 _ quitting-smoking-during-pregnancy-how-to-handle-cigarette-cr _ 1405546. bc
Regards, Dr. Amanda Smith, M. D