The impact of smoking on infertility, pregnancy outcomes and fetal development

Abstract

Maternal smoking during pregnancy is one of the main causes of pregnancy complications and is correlated with poorer outcomes compared to pregnancy without smoking. Maternal smoking is associated with a statistically significant increase in the risks of placental abruption, placenta praevia, ectopic pregnancy and preterm pre-labor rupture of membranes. In addition, maternal smoking during pregnancy correlated with higher rates of low birth weight, perinatal mortality, and premature birth, as well as complications in respiratory, cardiovascular and nervous systems in childhood. Active and passive smoking of pregnant mothers seems to be one of the causative agents for these and other negative effects on both mothers and their infants. Physicians should clarify these hazardous effects to pregnant women and strongly advise them to quit smoking as soon as possible. Women who continue to smoke during pregnancy should be considered a high-risk pregnancy.

Central Australian Aboriginal women's placental and neonatal outcomes following maternal smokeless tobacco, cigarette or no tobacco use

“…31 The placenta is critical to the survival and growth of the neonate (newborn), consequently, nicotine-induced changes to the placenta and its functionality flow on to changes in neonatal outcomes including lower birthweight, intrauterine growth retardation (which results in a small for gestational age [SGA] neonate), prematurity and admission to Special Care Nursery (SCN). 32 Birthweight is one of the sentinel predictors for neonatal mortality and morbidity, 33 and maternal cigarette exposure research shows a dose-dependent neonatal birthweight reduction of 320-435 grams (g), 34 while ST research shows birthweight reduction of between 100 g and 395 g. [35][36][37][38][39] In addition, there is a dose-dependent increased risk for preterm birth (<37 weeks gestation) and decreased length of gestation associated with both smoking and ST exposure. 36,[38][39][40][41][42][43][44] Foetal nicotine exposure also results in a dampened response to intrauterine and post-birth hypoxic episodes.…”