How Smoking 1-2 Cigarettes a Day Affects Newborn Health? Study Sheds Light - Video

Research published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health reveals that even smoking just 1-2 cigarettes a day, whether before or during pregnancy, is significantly linked to serious health issues in newborns.

According to the researchers, these findings underscore the importance for women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant to quit smoking to safeguard their baby's health. While advancements in maternity care have significantly reduced newborn deaths and serious health problems, neonatal intensive care unit admissions remain relatively common, and neurodevelopmental issues may continue into adulthood.

What is less understood is how the timing and extent of maternal cigarette smoking might impact the newborn. This is crucial because many women think it is acceptable to smoke before conception or during the first trimester, or that light smoking poses minimal risk, the researchers note.

For the analysis researchers included 12,150,535 mother-infant pairs from 2016 to 2019 and of these pairs, just over 9%, 7%, 6%, and just under 6% of the mums reported smoking cigarettes before pregnancy, and in the first, second, and third trimester, respectively. Smoking intensity was classified as 0, 1–2, 3–5, 6–9, 10–19, and 20 or more cigarettes/day.

The women who smoked had more risk factors for neonatal health issues which included the requirement for assisted ventilation right after birth; assisted ventilation lasting more than 6 hours; admission to the NICU for ongoing mechanical ventilation; surfactant replacement therapy; suspected sepsis; and seizures or severe neurological problems.

The prevalence of all these issues was just under 9.5%.

If a mother smoked before becoming pregnant, the likelihood of her baby facing multiple significant health problems at birth increased by 27%. This risk rose to 31-32% if she smoked at any point during her pregnancy. Specifically, the risk of the baby needing admission to neonatal intensive care was 24% higher if the mother smoked before pregnancy and 30-32% higher if she smoked during pregnancy.

Even light smoking—1–2 cigarettes a day—was associated with a heightened risk of major neonatal health issues.

Reference: Maternal cigarette smoking before or during pregnancy increases the risk of severe neonatal morbidity after delivery: A nationwide population-based retrospective cohort

study. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2024-222259