Smoking: Problems With Pregnancy

Overview

When you're pregnant, everything you put in your body can affect your pregnancy. If you smoke, your fetus is exposed to chemicals such as nicotine and carbon monoxide.

If you breathe secondhand smoke during pregnancy, your baby is more likely to have health problems.

Smoking during pregnancy increases the chance of:

• Placenta problems. (The placenta is an organ that gives the fetus oxygen and nutrients and gets rid of waste.)
• Preterm birth. The baby is born too soon.
• Miscarriage or stillbirth.
• Birth defects, such as a cleft lip.
• Death early in life, mainly because of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
• A baby with a low birth weight.

Experts recommend avoiding vaping during pregnancy.^{footnote 1} Vaping can expose you to nicotine and other chemicals that are not safe. More research is needed to understand all the risks.

If you smoke or vape, quit. If you can't quit, cut back as much as you can. Ask your doctor or midwife about ways to quit or cut back.