Smoking and its effects on pregnancy outcomes

Abstract

Maternal smoking is a known preventable risk factor responsible for detrimental pregnancy outcomes. Despite the knowledge of these detrimental effects, significant number of women still smoke during pregnancy. Among the numerous chemical constituents of cigarette, nicotine and carbon monoxide are the most studied. They are responsible for the numerous adverse effects of smoking. In order to enable pregnant women to quit smoking, behavioral and pharmacological interventions are used.