Medical Toxicology Commons^™

A Pharmacist's Role In Educating On The Health Risks Of Smoking During Pregnancy And Helping Patients With Smoking Cessation, Alexandra Herman, Cassandra Hacker, Emily Wells, Brian Heilbronner, Brittany L. Long

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

While many people know smoking causes cancer, heart disease and other major health problems, smoking during pregnancy causes additional fetal health complications including birth defects, premature birth and infant death. Cigarettes contain carbon monoxide and nicotine, both of which can cause a decrease in oxygen delivery to the fetus' developing tissues causing organs like the brain, lungs, kidneys and ears not to develop properly. If children are exposed to these toxins through secondhand smoke after birth, they are more likely to experience severe health problems such as ear infections, cataracts, lung cancer and heart disease. It is also known that …