Often on our pages we highlight the health risks associated with tobacco use, especially in pregnant women and children. And it is that, whether actively, as passive smokers, tobacco smoke is harmful in many ways.
Today, May 31, World No Tobacco Day is celebrated with the purpose of promoting a period of 24 hours of abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption around the world. We take this opportunity to highlight on this special date the advances that have been achieved in recent decades thanks to some restrictions, as well as the steps that remain to be taken and the harmful effects on the health of pregnant women and children.
As we have pointed out, the harmful consequences of tobacco affect active and passive smokers. The effects of nicotine, carbon monoxide, irritant gases and potentially carcinogenic substances included in each cigarette have been extensively studied in recent decades.
Smoking in pregnancy
Smoking during pregnancy negatively affects in many ways, so you have to try to quit smoking if you are thinking about getting pregnant and as soon as possible if you already are. In case of not obtaining it, consult the doctor so that he can advise you.
Recall that maternal smoking influences the weight of the newborn, as there may be insufficient oxygen in the blood and the transport of nutrients and the placenta affected. The toxic effects caused by nicotine also affect the growth of the fetus. Even tobacco in pregnancy can affect the psychic development of the baby.
Despite all these risks, according to a study, in Spain between 30 and 40% of pregnant women are active smokers at the beginning of pregnancy, 40% leave the habit at the beginning, but between 13% and a 25% continue smoking throughout pregnancy.
And these figures do not take into account all those women who, without smoking directly, do receive tobacco smoke passively. There is a lot of awareness about it, but next to pregnant women is not smoked.
Smoking with the children
Of course, the fact smoking with babies and children hurts them. They are passive smokers and are injured. Some risks of passive smoking in infants are sudden death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, meningococcal infection, worsening asthma, moderate deterioration of lung function, otitis media, bronchiolitis, irritation of eyes and pathways respiratory ...
Children have the right to grow smoke-free and depend on parents, the environment and, in general, greater social awareness. Therefore, campaigns and celebrations such as today are still necessary.
Restrictions give results
Restrictions on tobacco they give a good result for the health of children, that is why we support them to expand, as they are doing in other countries in the case of the prohibition of smoking in cars in which children travel, small spaces where the harmful effects of smoke They multiply.
In the case of the ban on smoking in public places, it has been proven that it has had benefits for maternal and child health: less premature births and less asthma in children. Specifically, it was seen that with the anti-smoking law reduced more than 10% premature deliveries and cases of asthma income in children.
Both reasons more than enough to expand restrictive measures. However, globally, we see that 40% of children worldwide are exposed to non-inhaled smoke directly and only 16% of the world's population lives in countries with anti-smoking laws. Still a long way to go.
Definitely, tobacco is a risk factor for acute and chronic diseases, which affects during pregnancy, childhood and at any stage of life, so it is always a good time to remember those risks and achieve a healthier environment in our cities, in our lives.
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In Babies and more | World No Tobacco Day: Because one adult in ten in the world is dying to use tobacco, Paying to quit smoking during pregnancy will it be effective?
