If you are a smoker, there is no better time to quit. When you smoke, so does your baby. Think of what this means before lighting a cigarette.
Even if you don't smoke, secondhand smoke can harm your baby.
This is what happens to the baby when the mother smokes or breathes secondhand smoke.
Creating a Smoke Free Environment for Your Children
A video on the social impact of second-hand smoke on young families. Created by the Best Start Resource Centre
For information about stopping smoking, you can contact the Smokers Helpline.
Smokers' Helpline is a free, confidential service operated by the Canadian Cancer Society
offering support and information about quitting smoking and tobacco use
Website: www.smokershelpline.ca
Phone: 1-877-513-5333
Cigarettes can cause problems both to the mother and the child.
The dangers of cigarettes |
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The following exercise will help you understand why cigarette smoke is dangerous during pregnancy and after the birth of the baby.
Click on the option button that matches the correct answer and validate your answer by clicking on the «Check» button.
1 |
Smoking increases the risk of miscarriage. |
2 |
Smoking increases the risk of premature birth. |
3 |
Smoking can have an effect on the baby's weight at birth. |
4 |
Smoking can have an effect on labour and delivery. |
5 |
Smoking increases the risk of death in newborns. |
6 |
Nicotine found in a cigarette enters the breast milk. |
7 |
After the birth, the presence of cigarette smoke in the baby's environment causes less damage. |
Maybe you think that quitting smoking during pregnancy will increase your stress. However, remember that smoking is a stress for your body. If you smoke, your baby's heart and yours beat faster and your blood pressure is higher. If you quit smoking now, you will protect your baby from the most harmful effects of tobacco. In addition, once at home, your baby will not be exposed to cigarette smoke.
If you live with smokers, explain to them that their smoke can harm your baby. Even when they are not ready to quit, you can set certain rules to decrease the amount of cigarette smoke in your home.
Here is what you can do to reduce cigarette smoke in your environment.
Smoking is an addiction. Everyone knows that it is very difficult to quit smoking but millions of people have succeeded. When you are pregnant, the most important thing you can do for your baby is quit smoking. Talk to your health care provider before using a nicotine patch or nicotine gum.
If you need help to quit smoking, contact Addiction Services, Public Health Offices, Canadian Lung Association, Canadian Cancer Society, your health care provider, the New Brunswick Anti-tobacco Coalition or the Smoker’s Helpline.
Smoker’s Helpline: 1-877-513-5333 or www.smokershelpline.ca/