EVIDENCE THAT SMOKING HAS A
NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THE
DEVELOPMENT OF A FETUS
HAUWA BUHARI GREMA
SMOKING
• SMOKING IS A PRACTICE IN WHICH A SUBSTANCE
IS COMBUSTED AND THE RESULTING SMOKE IS
TYPICALLY INHALED TO BE TASTED AND ABSORBED
INTO THE BLOODSTREAM OF A PERSON;
• SMOKING, THE ACT OF INHALING AND EXHALING
THE FUMES OF BURNING PLANT MATERIAL;
• A VARIETY OF PLANT MATERIALS
ARE SMOKED, INCLUDING MARIJUANA AND
HASHISH, BUT THE ACT IS MOST COMMONLY
ASSOCIATED WITH TOBACCO AS SMOKED IN A
CIGARETTE, CIGAR, OR PIPE.
TOBACCO
• TOBACCO SMOKE CONTAINS MANY CHEMICALS THAT ARE HARMFUL TO BOTH SMOKERS AND
NONSMOKERS;
• BREATHING EVEN A LITTLE TOBACCO SMOKE CAN BE HARMFUL;
• AMONG THE 250 KNOWN HARMFUL CHEMICALS IN TOBACCO SMOKE, AT LEAST 69 CAN
CAUSE CANCER.
• THESE CANCER-CAUSING CHEMICALS
INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: ACETALDEHYDE,
AROMATIC AMINES, ARSENIC, BENZENE,
BERYLLIUM (A TOXIC METAL), 1,3–BUTADIENE
(A HAZARDOUS GAS), CADMIUM (A TOXIC
METAL), CHROMIUM (A METALLIC ELEMENT),
CUMENE, ETHYLENE OXIDE, FORMALDEHYDE,
NICKEL (A METALLIC ELEMENT), POLONIUM210 (A RADIOACTIVE CHEMICAL ELEMENT),
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC
HYDROCARBONS (PAHS), TOBACCOSPECIFIC NITROSAMINES AND VINYL
CHLORIDE
FETUS
• A FETUS OR FOETUS IS THE UNBORN
OFFSPRING THAT DEVELOPS FROM AN
ANIMAL EMBRYO;
• FETAL DEVELOPMENT BEGINS FROM THE
NINTH WEEK AFTER FERTILIZATION AND
CONTINUES UNTIL BIRTH.
EFFECT OF TOBACCO ON FETUS
• IT LOWERS THE AMOUNT OF OXYGEN AND NUTRIENTS REACHING THE FETUS, WHICH CAN SLOW
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT;
• IT QUICKEN FETAL HEART RATE, WHICH CAN BE A SIGN OF FETAL DISTRESS;
• IT INCREASES THE RISK OF A PREMATURE BIRTH OR HAVING A BABY WITH LOW BIRTH WEIGHT,
WHICH CAN CREATE SHORT- AND LONG-TERM HEALTH CHALLENGES;
• IT CAN DAMAGE THE BABY’S LUNGS, WHICH CAN INCREASE ITS FUTURE RISK OF RESPIRATORY
ILLNESSES AND CHRONIC BREATHING CONDITIONS SUCH AS ASTHMA;
• IT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE BABY DEVELOPING A CLEFT LIP OR CLEFT PALATE, A SPLIT OR OPENING
IN THEIR UPPER LIP WHICH CAN LEAD TO ISSUES WITH EATING, HEARING AND SPEECH.
IN SUMMARY, TOBACCO HEIGHTENS THE RISK
OF:
• A MISCARRIAGE,
• STILLBIRTH, OR
• SUDDEN UNEXPLAINED INFANT DEATH (SUID).
THANK YOU