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Smoking and Pregnancy

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Effects of Smoking and Pregnancy
William Franklin Stewart
Marshall University
January 19, 2010

Thesis Statement Smoking during pregnancy is associated with many adverse outcomes for children as well as negative consequences for child health and development. Maternal smoking late in pregnancy reduces birth weight and size. Babies that are born to habitual smokers "weigh, on average, about 9 oz. less, and are shorter both at birth and in the years to come" (Berger 115). Nicotine is the addictive ingredient in cigarettes and breaking that habit can be nearly impossible for some women. What is the acceptable way for her to stop smoking? It's my opinion a woman needs to gather all of the information she can and then discuss her options with her doctor. Only she and the doctor can know how her body reacts to certain medications and to nicotine withdrawal. Discussed in this paper are some of the issues facing the mother and child.

Effects of Smoking and Pregnancy

Quitting Smoking
First and foremost, a woman should quit smoking if she is thinking about becoming pregnant. Quitting will help produce a baby that will be of the same birth weight of a baby born of a woman who has never smoked. Doctors have different opinions to the correct way to quit. Some favor quitting cold turkey, stepping down gradually, taking prescription drugs such as Zyban and Chantix. Both of these need a prescription in most cases and both can have serious side effects as well. Wearing patches such as NicoDerm CQ and Habitrol release nicotine into the blood system. Some will suggest herbal supplements and even hypnosis to quit. Doctors will argue that the mother can possibly put so much stress on her body that she faces the possibility of miscarriage while others state the fetus doesn’t experience that trauma of the stress.
Birth Defects
Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk

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