This sheet talks about exposure to cigarette smoke in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider. What is in cigarette smoke? Cigarette smoke is made of gases and very tiny particles that are released when cigarettes are burned. It has over 4,000 compounds including nicotine, tar, arsenic, lead, and carbon monoxide. When you breathe the cigarette smoke into your lungs, the gases and particles get …
The Baby Blog: Tobacco
E-cigarettes (Vaping)
This sheet talks about exposure to e-cigarettes in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider. What are e-cigarettes? Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes are battery operated devices that heat a liquid solution into an aerosol (a fine spray) that you inhale (breath in), like you would inhale tobacco smoke from a traditional cigarette. E-cigarettes are known by many different names. They are sometimes …
Carbon Monoxide
This sheet talks about exposure to carbon monoxide in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your health care provider. What is carbon monoxide? Carbon monoxide is a gas. It has no color, smell, or taste. Small amounts of carbon monoxide are normally found in our bodies and in the air we breathe. Large amounts of carbon monoxide gas can be released from poorly working heaters, furnaces, grills, kerosene stoves, or other …
Episode 15: 5 Tips for Birth Defects Prevention: Part 2
Chris Stallman, a certified genetic counselor, teratogen information specialist and mother of three (soon four), continues her conversation with two experts and new moms from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to talk about the five tips for preventing birth defects, which includes the importance of a healthy weight and boosting your health by avoiding harmful substances during pregnancy. Harmful substances discussed include alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. The tips are part of the …
Preventing Birth Defects: Is it Possible? Yes!
January is Birth Defects Prevention Month, and it’s a great time to remind ourselves that there are several things that pregnant women can do to reduce their chance of having a baby with a birth defect. Our 5 tips for preventing birth defects include: Book a visit with your healthcare provider before stopping or starting any medicine.Be sure to take 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid every day.Before you get pregnant, try to reach a healthy weight.Become up to date with all vaccines, …
