Smoking During Pregnancy: Another Reason to Quit
Smoking during the first trimester of pregnancy increases the risk of certain types of congenital heart defects by 20 to 70 percent.
According to a study published in the medical journal Pediatrics, there is an association between tobacco exposure and certain types of defects such as those that obstruct the flow of blood from the right side of the heart into the lungs (right ventricular outflow tract obstructions) and openings between the upper chambers of the heart (atrial septal defects).
Smoking during pregnancy is also associated with an increased risk of preterm birth, low-birth weight, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
This article originally appeared in City Parent.