Pregnant women start smoking to combat birth pains
Smoking during pregnancy is extremely harmful to the unborn child. It can result in death, premature birth or miscarriage. But even if the baby is born successfully, these children often suffer from diseases like asthma, obesity, type 2 diabetes, circulatory diseases or ADD. Furthermore, smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of sudden death in a child.
This is the reason why most women stop smoking immediately after they learn they are pregnant. But in Australia a new and dangerous trend is emerging: Pregnant women are starting to smoke just because they are pregnant. They hope to reduce the baby's weight - a common side effect of smoking during pregnancy. This is meant to lead to a less painful birthing process.
These women came up with the dangerous idea after seeing the stern warning on Australian cigarette packages about the danger of giving birth to a baby with a low weight. Some women, who are particularly petite or skinny, fear birthing pains. In response, they are willing to accept the many dangers that result from smoking during pregnancy.
We can only hope that this bizarre trend does not spread to the U.S. After all there are many medical procedures that can be performed to make birthing pains more bearable for women. A Caesarean section is also another option for pregnant women who fear having a natural birth.
