Even Light Smoking Before or During Pregnancy Can be Harmful to Newborns

Smoking just one or two cigarettes a day before or during pregnancy can harm the health of newborns, according to new research.

The findings add to the evidence that those who are hoping to become, or who are, pregnant should stop smoking to protect their newborn’s health, the researchers say.

Their study found that even smoking one or two cigarettes a day before pregnancy increased the risk of major neonatal health issues by 16%, rising to 31% for those who smoked 20 or more cigarettes a day. The risk of admission to intensive care for newborns was 13% higher with a daily tally of one to two cigarettes (compared with those who did not smoke), rising to 29% higher for 20 or more cigarettes.

The risks of smoking increase with the amount of cigarettes smoked, and remain high even if a pregnant person quits partway through the pregnancy, HealthDay reports.

The researchers concluded that their findings suggest “that there is no safe period and no safe level of cigarette smoking shortly before or during pregnancy” and “re-emphasize the need to prevent smoking initiation for non-smokers and to promote smoking cessation for smokers.”