Smoking during pregnancy

If you are a smoker and get pregnant, you should quit. If you are not a smoker, avoid secondhand smoke. Many programs are available to help pregnant women quit smoking. Ask your doctor or nurse-midwife for information on quitting smoking while pregnant.

Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of:¹

• Placenta abruptio and placenta previa.
• Preterm labor.
• Miscarriage and stillbirth.
• A low-birth-weight baby.
• Death early in life (twice the risk of babies born to nonsmoking mothers), particularly due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

If your baby or child is exposed to smoke after birth, he or she will be more prone to illness and breathing problems.

Citations

1. American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2007). Antepartum care. In Guidelines for Perinatal Care, 6th ed., pp. 83-137. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics.