The Dangers Of Vaping During Pregnancy
Blues Perspectives
| 2 min read
Vaping during pregnancy isn’t safe for your baby. Nicotine in regular cigarettes is also found in some electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and can cause permanent damage to a baby’s brain as well as cause other health problems.
Vaping Is Dangerous
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, e-cigarettes aren’t safe for pregnant women. In fact, all types of smoke, including vaping, marijuana and secondhand smoke, can cause a low birth weight baby. A low birth weight can lead to health problems for your baby. If your baby is exposed to nicotine — which is found in many vaping products — while still in the womb, he or she may have problems with lung, heart, brain and immune system development. These problems can cause issues for your baby's entire life. Even vape products that don’t have nicotine can harm your baby. They may have less chemicals than cigarette smoke, but they also have harmful substances, such as:
- Lead and other heavy metals
- Benzene, which is found in car exhaust
- Diacetyl, which is linked to lung disease
Quitting Now Will Help
Many pregnant women worry that quitting vaping cold turkey will cause their baby to suffer nicotine withdrawals. Studies have shown this isn't true. Maternal stress due to nicotine withdrawals from vaping hasn't been shown to be a risk to the mother or her baby. On the other hand, most nicotine patches and medications to help you quit smoking haven't been proven safe for use during pregnancy. Quitting vaping now can help reduce your baby’s chance of experiencing birth defects, no matter how far you are in the pregnancy.
How To Quit
We know quitting vaping is hard. But we’re here to help. Our no-cost Tobacco Quit Program offers special resources for pregnant women. You’ll receive nine counseling calls, one female quit coach and gift card rewards for keeping appointments. All Michigan Tobacco Quitline counseling is confidential and has no cost for Blue Cross Complete members. Call the Quitline 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-800-QUIT-NOW or 1-800-784-8669. Sources:
