Why Avoiding Secondhand Smoke During Pregnancy Matters
After Your Baby Is Born
Short and Long-Term Health Effects
Did you know that the effects of tobacco use during pregnancy can affect children into the teenage years and beyond?
Secondhand smoke can cause your baby to cough and have trouble breathing. Babies and children who are exposed to secondhand smoke get sick more often, suffering from an increased rate of respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia and bronchitis. They also have higher rates of severe asthma and can have frequent ear infections, which may lead to hearing loss. Children get sicker than adults from cigarette smoke because they breathe faster, breathe more air, and have smaller airways than adults. All of this can mean more trips to the doctor over the years.
It’s Never Too Late!
(1) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Excessive Alcohol Use Is a Risk for Women's Health. CDC.gov. Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/womens-health.htm
(2) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Alcohol Use During Pregnancy. CDC.gov. Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/alcohol-use.html
(3) National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (n.d.). Fetal Alcohol Exposure. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/fetal-alcohol-exposure