Tobacco Use During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, everything you eat, drink, or breathe can affect your unborn baby. This includes tobacco. This can happen during the very first days and weeks of pregnancy. This can even happen when you don’t even know you’re pregnant.

How does tobacco affect my baby?

Using tobacco during pregnancy can cause many problems for your baby, such as:

• Miscarriage or stillbirth.
• Premature birth.
• Low birth weight.
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
• Asthma and other breathing problems.

The good news is, there are many resources to help you quit using tobacco. If you need support to quit tobacco, below are a couple resources for pregnant tobacco users.

West Virginia Tobacco Quit Line for Pregnant Women
Calling the West Virginia Tobacco Quit Line at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-877-966-8784) is one of your best options for quitting tobacco. The Quitline has free coaching, quit plan and educational materials tailored just for pregnant women who smoke or use other tobacco products.

BABY & ME – Tobacco-Free Program™
This program provides counseling and support to pregnant women who use tobacco. Through this program, you can quit using tobacco and stay quit throughout your pregnancy, postpartum period, and beyond.

If you’re eligible to join this program, you can earn diaper coupons by going to counseling sessions to quit smoking and by testing tobacco-free. You can learn more at babyandmetobaccofree.org.

How does quitting help my pregnancy?

By quitting tobacco during your pregnancy, you:

• Lower your chances of having a miscarriage or serious problems with your pregnancy.
• Increase the chance that your baby will be born healthy.
• Lower your baby’s risk of dying from SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
• Help your baby have a healthy childhood.

Tobacco-Free Pregnancy Resources
Smoking, Pregnancy, and Babies
Quitting While Pregnant
Five Ways Quitlines Help
Benefits of Quitting Tobacco Use
Former Smokers Share Stories