Public health guidance in the U.S. typically advises against maternal smoking because it can increase a pregnant woman's risk for miscarriage, low birth weight, and premature birth. But a new study gives evidence of several birth defects that are also linked to smoking during pregnancy, with researchers urging public health officials to warn mothers about malformations that can occur as a result of smoking.
Believe it or not, a whopping 20% of American women under the age of 25 smoke during pregnancy, a number that drops dramatically in pregnant women over the age of 35, of whom only 9% smoke. In spite of warnings of increased risk of miscarriage, low birth weight and premature birth, many women in the U.S. are still smoking while pregnant. The researchers of the study, which was published in Human Reproduction Update, hope that new findings about birth defects linked to smoking will encourage more women to stop lighting up during pregnancy.
After compiling hundreds of research papers, the researchers were able to examine 174,000 cases of babies born with birth defects. The study, led by researchers at University College London, found that maternal smoking was associated with a 26% increased risk of having a baby born with deformed or missing limbs, 28% for babies born with clubfoot, 27% for gastrointestinal defects, 33% for skull defects, 25% for eye defects, and 28% for cleft lip/palate. There was a large increase in risk, 50%, for a condition called gastroschisis, where parts of the intestines may protrude through the baby's skin.
In the past, it was not clear whether such birth defects were directly linked to smoking. Now that there is evidence that smoking can cause malformation and other birth defects, the researchers hope that public health initiatives will spread the word. They hope that the astonishingly high number of women who still smoke during pregnancy will decrease as a result of these new findings, which could also lead to a lower incidence of many common birth defects in newborns.
Women who are trying to become pregnant should quit smoking before trying to conceive, and women who become pregnant unexpectedly should quit smoking as soon as they suspect they are pregnant, to reduce the risk of having a child with a serious birth defect. Recent studies also show that women who are passive smokers— who inhale second-hand smoke — also have an increased risk of miscarriage and having children with birth defects. Experts recommend that expectant fathers refrain from smoking near their pregnant partners, or use a nicotine patch or other method of controlling cravings when around their partner.
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