TOBACCO CESSATION TOBACCO
The risk sudden of infant death syndrome (SIDS, or death’) ‘cot is increased you smoke if during pregnancy or after birth. Babies and children who are exposed smoke to are more suffer likely to from asthma,other infections. ear middle and infections respiratory After your baby is born After baby your • • Breastfeeding Breast milk protects your baby against infection and breastfeeding is one the of best things you can do smokingfor the health However, your of baby. reduces the amount and quality breast of milk you from substances harmful some and produce cigarettes go breast into milk and the baby. to If you are having difficulty quitting smoking, try smokenot to just before or during feeds, and always and jacket’ ‘smoking a Wear smoke. to outside go hair covering outside when you smoke and remove these items before coming back inside prevent to the smoke that clings your clothing to from affecting your face Wash the baby. and hands thoroughly before handling Ask your baby. family members to do the same. Remember, you do if even smoke, breastfeeding is still better for your baby than formula feeding because the of important nutrients and protective factors in breast milk.
If you quitIf you smoking within the first 16 weeks pregnancy, of most the of harmful effectsof smoking canavoided. be Ectopic pregnancy pregnancy (a outside and miscarriage.the uterus) Having a premature that is baby (one early). born Having a sickly and small A small baby. baby does not make labour easier and can put the baby’s life in danger. Baby dying during or soon after birth. • • • • Women who smoke a greater risk have of: Smoking harm during Smoking harm birth and pregnancy This makes the baby’s heart beat more rapidly and increases stress on baby’s developing body. Smoking can also reduce the flowof blood theto baby. Smoking and your unborn baby unborn your and Smoking The umbilical cord is your baby’s lifeline. The blood thatthrough flows this your cord gives baby allthe oxygen andnutrients needs it grow. to When you smoke a cigarette you inhale the gas carbon monoxide. This reduces the amount oxygen of going your baby to through the umbilical cord. Smoking causes harm to babies even before they are born. Cigarette born. are Cigarette they before even babies Smoking causes to harm that about 70 chemicals, (including than 7,000 more contains smoke these to exposed are baby and your You cause cancer). to known are you. around someone smokes or when smoke you when chemicals
Smoking and pregnancy Benefits quittingof Benefits smoking Passive smoking If you think you need more NRT or combination Every time someone smokes around you or your therapy, discuss this with your doctor, midwife baby, you are all smoking too. This is called ‘passive or health professional. smoking’. Passive smoking can affect the health Oral forms of NRT and patches can be used of babies and children: while breastfeeding. Use the oral form of NRT • Babies and young children have smaller, more straight after a feed to lower the risk to your baby. delicate lungs than adults. This means they are more affected by tobacco smoke. If I am already three months • Keep your baby safe by asking smokers to pregnant, is it still worth quitting? always go outside your home and car to smoke. Yes. If you quit smoking within the first 16 weeks, your risk of having a sickly and small baby will be Getting support to quit similar to if you had never smoked. The earlier in If you decide to stop smoking and need support pregnancy that you quit the better, however quitting to help you quit, you can: any time is still good for you and your baby. • Call and speak Quitline 13 7848 (13 QUIT) Is it OK to cut down, rather than quit? to a trained advisor (cost of a local call). • Talk with your doctor, midwife or other health There is no safe level of smoking during pregnancy. professional. Even a few cigarettes a day means your baby is • Encourage your partner, other family members exposed to poisons that might affect their health and close friends to quit too. and development. Reducing the number of • Download the Quit for 2 Quit for you app if you cigarettes does not necessarily reduce the harm as have a Smartphone from: www.quitnow.gov.au the way you smoke may change, such as drawing click on tools. harder on each cigarette so that you get much the same dose of nicotine and other toxins each day Common questions even though you are smoking less. You are also damaging your own health by continuing to Can I use nicotine replacement smoke. If you are cutting down to quit, consider therapy (NRT) during my pregnancy using NRT so that you don’t draw back so hard and while breastfeeding? on the cigarettes you are smoking. If you’re pregnant it is best to try to quit first without using NRT. However, if you have tried this and found If smoking relaxes me, it too difficult then NRT is an option and is safer than isn’t this good for my baby? continuing to smoke. You and your baby will get less Smoking might seem relaxing, but it actually nicotine and none of the other 7,000 poisons increases your heart rate and blood pressure. present in cigarettes. Every puff on a cigarette decreases the amount of oxygen your baby receives. This makes the It is best to speak with your doctor, midwife, or other baby’s heart beat more rapidly and increases health professional before you start using NRT to stress on the baby’s developing body. check that you don’t have any health issues that may prevent you from using NRT. If you are taking other medications, your doctor may need to adjust the dosage while you are using NRT. Remember, it’s never too late to quit smoking. The sooner you Oral forms of NRT (such as gum, lozenges, strips, quit the better. oral spray and inhalators) are preferred for pregnant women because they provide an occasional dose rather than a constant dose of nicotine. Pregnant women will usually need the higher dose (4mg rather than 2mg) of gum or lozenge to manage nicotine If you would like help with quitting smoking withdrawal symptoms and cravings because the contact the Quitline 13 7848 (13 QUIT) or body metabolises nicotine quicker during pregnancy. speak with your health professional. 150365 www.health.nsw.gov.au SHPN (CPH) Visit the websites: If you don’t tolerate the oral forms of NRT, you can www.icanquit.com.au and use the patch. It is important to remove the patch www.quitnow.gov.au at bed time and apply a new patch in the morning. Try the 25mg/16 hour patch or the 21mg/ 24 hour patch, removed at night. Some pregnant women require larger doses of NRT or even ‘combination therapy’ (oral NRT plus a patch) to relief cravings and withdrawal symptoms.