Smoking While Pregnant is Wrong, So Why Take the Risk?

We all know smoking is bad for you. There’s been much publicity about the negative effects smoking has on our health; it’s been banned in pubs, clubs and restaurants, and the government recently hiked up the price of cigarettes by 37p, writes Rena Dipti Annobil.

And if none of those warning catch your attention, the large and boldly printed ‘Smoking Kills‘ text on the box might give it away.

I’m a non-smoker and only a handful of people I know still smoke. These are the die-hard ‘we’re all going to die of something one day’ smokers.

I can see their point, but you wouldn’t apply the same rule to your unborn child would you?

Unfortunately, many women do; around 120,000 of the 700,000 babies born each year in England and Wales are born to women who smoke.

Of the 700,000 babies born every year in England and Wales, 17% (one in six) are born to women who smoke.

The issue should not be taken lightly. According to the NHS, every year around 5,000 miscarriages in the UK are linked to smoking.

It can also cause stillbirth, low birth weight, deformed limbs, and increases the risk of cot death.

Childbirth is complex enough as it is, and mothers always blame themselves if something happens to the baby.

Smoking is a preventable risk and it’s never too late to stop.

In the videos above, former X Factor finalist Stacey Solomon, who was recently photographed while pregnant, apologises for her weakness, and another young mum tries to convince a nurse that cigarettes are good for her unborn child.