Just the Facts

Stage Three

The effects on your baby during pregnancy

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Heart

  • When you smoke you inhale over 4,000 chemicals from the cigarette. One of these is a dangerous chemical called carbon monoxide, which gets into your bloodstream.
  • This restricts the oxygen that's essential for your baby's healthy growth and development, and because cigarettes restrict their oxygen supply, their tiny heart has to beat harder every time you smoke.
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Heart Lungs Placenta Development Womb

  1. Heart

    Your baby's heart has to beat faster. Click to find out more.

  2. Lungs

    Your baby will find it harder to breathe. Click to find out more.

  3. Placenta

    Smoking can damage the placenta. Click to find out more.

  4. Development

    Your baby is likely to be smaller. Click to find out more.