Risks of maternal smoking
- Smoking, which also includes smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes (vaping), reduces a woman’s chances of getting pregnant.
- Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk for pregnancy complications.
- Tobacco smoke harms babies before and after they are born.
Risks to baby
- Mothers that smoke during pregnancy are more likely to experience preterm labor.
- One in five infants born to mothers that smoke during their pregnancy has low birth weight.
- Babies are three times more likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) if mothers smoke during pregnancy or are exposed to secondhand smoke.
- Infants exposed to secondhand smoke or mothers the smoke during pregnancy have weaker lungs at birth, which increases the risk for many health problems.
Lincoln County data
Lincoln County has seen an increase in maternal smoking over the past 3 years; the lowest was 2013 at 11.6% with 2012 being the highest at 18.1%. As of 2016 data Lincoln County is 6.2% higher than Washington State for maternal smoking during pregnancy. This is a concern of the health of our mothers and children in our communities.
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