Despite advances in maternity care leading to a decrease in newborn deaths and severe health complications, many infants still require neonatal intensive care. Furthermore, some neurodevelopmental issues that begin at birth may persist into adulthood. In the U.S., about 10% of pregnant women continue to smoke, despite the well-documented risks of preterm delivery, low birth weight, and restricted fetal growth.
New research published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health highlights the significant health risks associated with even minimal smoking during pregnancy. The study underscores the critical importance of completely avoiding cigarettes for women who are pregnant or planning to conceive.
For their study, researchers analyzed data from the U.S. National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) covering 15 million births from 2016 to 2019. After accounting for various factors, the study analyzed 12.1 million mother-infant pairs. It was found that over 9% of women smoked before pregnancy, while 7%, 6%, and nearly 6% smoked during the first, second, and third trimesters, respectively. Smoking intensity was categorized, ranging from 1–2 cigarettes to 20 or more per day.
The study revealed that smoking at any point before or during pregnancy significantly increased the risk of serious neonatal health issues, such as the need for assisted ventilation, NICU admission, surfactant replacement therapy, suspected sepsis, and seizures. The overall prevalence of these issues was nearly 9.5%.
Further, mothers who smoked before pregnancy had a 27% higher risk of their newborn experiencing multiple major health issues, while smoking during pregnancy raised this risk to 32%. Even light smoking—just 1–2 cigarettes a day—was associated with a higher risk of neonatal complications. For instance, just smoking 1–2 cigarettes daily before pregnancy increased the risk by 16%, with the risk rising to 31% for those smoking 20 or more cigarettes daily.
The research emphasizes that no period during pregnancy is safe for smoking, and even minimal smoking significantly raises the risk of serious health issues for newborns. The study’s findings reinforce the urgent need for smoking prevention and cessation.
While this may not seem related to men’s health. It in fact this for men to be advocates of children by setting example not smoking themselves, encouraging their female partners to stop, as well as not being as source of second or third hand smoking exposure. The fact is good parenting starts why before conception.
L Yang et al. 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 (2024). DOI: 10.1136/jech-2024-222259
