Ask the Expert Archive Week 18
Female Incontinence
It can cause learning disabilities, low birth weight, and increase your risk of sudden infant death syndrome. There's no question that pregnant women should not smoke, but still some can't quit.
Dr. Ted Boadway says the nicotine patch is the lesser of two evils. Smoking and pregnancy continues to be one of the major public health problems we face today in Canada. Smoking and pregnancy results in an increased incidents of miscarriage, still births, small birth weight babies with all the attendant health problems that brings, and yet 58% of women will ignore their physician's advice to stop smoking during pregnancy, how can this be?
Mothers are incredibly motivated to look after their baby. But it's a testimony to the incredibly powerful addiction of nicotine. One of the most addictive substances known to humanity. The question is there anything we can do for folks who are gripped in this terrible addiction? There is. Nicotine replacement therapy, is a product which can help some people stop smoking who couldn't stop otherwise. And help others decrease the amount of smoke, especially if they are used while you are smoking. You can use these and smoke less.. every cigarette you smoke less is one small victory for your baby. Despite that if you read the brochure that the product has inside, Health Canada insists that the manufacturers indicate that this product is not for use in pregnancy. The medical profession respectfully disagrees. Nicotine replacement therapy delivers nicotine in a clean delivery system. Whereas tobacco delivers about 4,000 other chemicals, some of which are cancer causing and the rest of which are downright poisonous. We're interested in the health of the baby, we're not going to abandon pregnant women and their babies at the time of their greatest need. We are speaking for the person and the party who is not part of this conversation. Your baby... and we want to protect its health. If you would like to send a question to Ask the Expert you can either email us at rx@tvo.org or fill out our form.
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