Smoking while pregnant damages fetal auditory development

In “The Simpsons” episode “The Last Temptation of Krusty,” a less-than-graceful Homer decides he’s going to be just like the outspoken clown and tell it like it is: “Marge, you’re getting a little fat around the old thighs,” he says. Marge retorts. “Oh, knock it off, Homer.”

Well, if you’re pregnant and smoking – and according to a recent Centers of Disease Control and Prevention study, around 10 per cent of pregnant women still smoke, even in their third trimester – we’re gonna borrow a little wisdom from Marge and tell you like it is: “Knock it off!”

When you smoke while pregnant your fetus is shortchanged on placenta-derived oxygen while still ingesting many toxic chemicals. The result? Poisoning your soon-to-be can cause premature birth or even infant death, and in a newborn it can trigger a rash of developmental problems.

But wait, there’s more: recent laboratory tests reveal that nicotine directly damages the fetal development of auditory nerve signalling. Other studies have linked smoking while pregnant with mental illness in offspring.

So if you smoke and you’re pregnant (or even thinking about getting pregnant) join a quit-smoking support group. Nicotine patches and other replacement therapies aren’t a good option while you’re pregnant; you’re still delivering nicotine to the fetus.