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Questions and Answers

Q. My 26 year old daughter just found out that she is pregnant. The baby is due most probably the last week of October or the first week of November.

My daughter smokes. She is finding it difficult to give up smoking immediately. Could you please let me know what kind of damages smoking can cause to a fetus?

I am really bothered and want to find a way to help her. She wants to stop without taking any medication or patches.

A. Smoking is a very bad habit for anyone, but during pregnancy there is real cause for concern. Smoking can increase the risk of miscarriage, placental problems, interuterine growth retardation, low birth weight babies, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), to name a few. There are special stop smoking classes available for pregnant women, some are offered through the American Lung Association or local health departments. I am not sure about using the patch during pregnancy to help with smoking cessation, but I would assume that it is safer than continuuing to smoke. Contact the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society or your practitioner for more advice.

Cyndi Klausing, RN, ACCE, has been a childbirth educator and breastfeeding counselor for over 18 years. She currently works as a newborn nursery nurse and is the mother of four sons.

Cyndi will answer your questions on fertility, pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and babies. Her advice does not take the place of your practitioner. Personal answers will not always be possible.