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Path: utzoo!watmath!watarts!mclin
From: mclin@watarts.UUCP (Madeleine Clin)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: smoking and pregnant women: effects?
Message-ID: <8033@watarts.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 14-Jul-84 17:45:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: watarts.8033
Posted: Sat Jul 14 17:45:12 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 15-Jul-84 02:08:50 EDT
References: <790@phoenix.UUCP>
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 27

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It is a fact that smoking is harmful to fetuses.  It is associated with
small birth weight babies and is believed to cause other problems as
well.  Second hand smoke is a contributing factor too. Women who do not
smoke but live with heavy smokers are affected.  One thing that is
often found at birth is a 'calcified' placenta.  This means that the
baby has not been getting all the oxygen and nutrients it might
otherwise get from its mothers blood.  Babies of smoking mothers are
often seen to have respiratory problems.  Then there are the problems
often associated with low birth weight babies. These are:  immature
sucking reflex, lower "apgar scores"*, reduced brain function,
prematurity.

By the way, low birth weight at full term is now believed to be worse
than prematurity. LBW kids don't seem to "catch up" in growth and
reflexes as fast as the premature infant, suggesting possible brain
disfunction.  Be reminded though that these symptoms are not seen in
every infant of the smoking mum, and they are seen in varying degrees.
The real problems are rare.

There are very good publications available from the Dept. of Health and
Welfare in Canada, I'm sure the U.S. gov't has a similar dept. with
lots of information on the subject.

* Apgar scores are a system of rating the health of the newborn.

	- Madeleine Clin