Smoking while breastfeeding: the effects on the baby and how to quit.

Smoking while breastfeeding

Maternal attitudes are the most precious nourishment we can provide to our baby in the first months of life. Its composition is perfect and ensures all the substances necessary for the baby to grow properly. But we know that the foods we eat, as well as drinks, alcohol, drugs and of course cigarettes can affect the composition of breast milk and can put its development and health at risk. As we can easily imagine, smoking while breastfeeding is a very bad habit that we should avoid in every way and we should take the opportunity to quit altogether and never start again. Also because the effects of passive smoking and the so-called " third -hand smoke" continue to be evident and risky for the whole family. Nicotine, tar and all the toxic substances present in cigarettes are deposited in fabrics, clothes and contaminate the home environment, even if you smoke outdoors.

WHO: smoking in breastfeeding

The World Health Organization strongly recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first 6 months and recommends continuing breastfeeding for the entire first year and beyond: for this reason, according to experts, breastfeeding smokers represent, with their children, an important patient population at risk.

The WHO has estimated that children of smoking mothers have a 70% increased risk of lower respiratory tract infections compared to children of non-smokers, and the likelihood of sudden death is also increased.

According to research conducted on the subject, the main identified effects of nicotine on children were:

· Changes in the rhythms of sleep and wakefulness;

· Reduction of iodine intake;

· Histopathological damage to the liver and lungs;

· Intracellular oxidative damage;

· Reduction of pancreatic B cells;

· Reduced glucose tolerance.

Furthermore, the children of mothers who smoke during pregnancy may present an increased risk of obesity, arterial hypertension, alterations in glucose metabolism.

Is it worse to smoke when pregnant or breastfeeding?

During pregnancy you have to stop smoking because the risks are well known and proven by science: smoking, in fact, actively influences fetal development. Among the best known risks we find:

Low birth weight;

· Increased risk of spontaneous abortion and perinatal death;

Increased risk of placental abruption;

Greater probability of premature birth;

Increased risk of fetal malformations.

But don't smoke after childbirth either: several studies have linked secondhand smoke with an increasing risk of cot death syndrome (SIDS). Furthermore, smoking while breastfeeding is directly linked to:

· Reduction in breast milk production: new mothers who smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day experience a reduction in milk production and changes in the composition of milk;

Restlessness, nausea, lethargy in children due to the passage of nicotine and other toxic substances through milk;

increased risk of the child suffering from asthma.

Furthermore, we must know that the amount of nicotine transferred into breast milk is double that of that transmitted through the placenta during pregnancy.

How Much Can You Smoke While Breastfeeding?

Is there a maximum number of cigarettes allowed while breastfeeding? Experts, as we have seen, advise against smoking while breastfeeding and recommend extending the smoking cessation period from pregnancy until breastfeeding is over. Of course, the best milk we can supply to our baby is the one that is free of nicotine and toxic substances, however, according to experts, a quantity of cigarettes less than 10 per day should not carry an excessively high risk. In any case, it is essential to wait at least 90 minutes after smoking before breastfeeding.

Stop smoking while breastfeeding

We know how difficult it is to quit smoking. It is already complicated in "peaceful" periods of one's life, so in the post-partum phase, with stress, lack of sleep, worries related to the new life as a new mother, it is understandable the desire to resume smoking as soon as possible or not being able to stop completely.

A nicotine patch can be helpful if you are trying to do without cigarettes. It is possible to contact your midwife or your doctor to be put in contact with experts who promote ad hoc programs to quit smoking.

If we can't do without cigarettes, let's remember to:

1. do not smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day;

2. let 90 minutes pass before breastfeeding;

3. Cover the head, hands and clothes to avoid making the child come into contact with second and third hand smoke.

Electronic cigarettes while breastfeeding

On electronic cigarettes, introduced a few years ago on the market, little research has been carried out in terms of safety. However, since e-cigarettes still contain nicotine they can still pose a risk to the mother and baby.

Dear mothers, after reading our article we suggest you take a look at our Luxurykids website where you will find many articles for you and your child.