"How Does Smoking Affect the Fetus in Pregnant Women?"
Smoking in China
China is a country with a substantial smoker population, encompassing even some women. Nevertheless, smoking poses detrimental effects on women's health due to its multitude of harmful substances. Specifically for pregnant women, smoking not only jeopardizes their own health but also significantly impacts the fetus, potentially resulting in poor fetal growth, malformations, and even miscarriage.
Specific Consequences:
Poor Fetal Development or Even Death: Cigarettes are laden with nicotine and carbon monoxide. These substances, upon entering the body, trigger a series of chemical reactions in the blood, potentially leading to vascular obstruction and other illnesses. Carbon monoxide can also induce oxygen deprivation in the fetus, resulting in impaired development or even fetal demise. Clinical data underscores a positive correlation between increased smoking during pregnancy and the risks of spontaneous abortion, fetal death, and neonatal mortality.
Newborn Defects or Malformations: Pregnancy smoking has been clinically linked to newborn defects and malformations. Infants born to smoking mothers tend to be smaller and have a heightened risk of heart defects, particularly among mothers over 35 years of age. Studies reveal that the incidence of heart defects in newborns of pregnant smokers ranges from 1% to 2%, while the rate of malformations can soar up to 1.7%.
Impact on Children's Intellectual Development: Research indicates that cyanide present in cigarettes can bond with sulfur amino acids in the human body, causing a decline in vitamin B12 levels. This condition is detrimental to fetal development and may contribute to intellectual disabilities in newborns.
Increased Risk of Emotional Disorders: Pregnancy smoking not only affects the child's physical health but may also indirectly compromise their psychological and emotional wellbeing. Studies show that compared to children born to non-smoking mothers, those born to smoking mothers during pregnancy have smaller brain volumes and prefrontal lobes, the latter of which are crucial for emotion regulation. This predisposes them to a higher likelihood of developing emotional disorders, such as depression and anxiety.
