Vaping FAQs

can vaping harm a unborn baby

by Kathlyn Mann Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Here are some very real and very serious problems that your baby is at risk of developing if you vape during pregnancy:

  • Your baby could be stillborn.
  • Your baby could be born with low birth weight, and may need to be kept in the NICU.
  • The chances of developing defects at birth increase.
  • There is risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, colic, asthma, and ADHD.

Although the aerosol of e-cigarettes generally has fewer harmful substances than cigarette smoke, e-cigarettes and other products containing nicotine are not safe to use during pregnancy. Nicotine is a health danger for pregnant women and developing babies and can damage a developing baby's brain and lungs.

Full Answer

Is it safe to vape while pregnant?

Vaping can lead to numerous problems, such as difficulties with the placenta, premature birth, stillbirth, low weight, nicotine withdrawal, and congenital disabilities. Vaping after pregnancy also has a negative effect on kids and may lead to vaping addiction. Pregnancy is one of the most miraculous events in people’s lives.

Is secondhand vaping harmful to your kids?

If you vape, you may wonder if you can safely do so around your kids at home — and even if you don’t, you may have found yourself near someone who was smoking an e-cigarette and wondered if it affects your kids’ health. The short answer: While more research needs to be done, secondhand vaping from e-cigarettes definitely isn’t harmless.

Is smoking while pregnant bad for Your Baby?

It’s common knowledge that smoking cigarettes whilst you are pregnant can harm your unborn child, and cause a myriad of health issues. Many of these health issues can cause permanent damage to your baby, and have negative effects for the duration of his or her entire life.

Are e-cigarettes safe during pregnancy?

E-cigarettes also contain a propellant — used to create vapor — and other harmful additives that might not be safe for your baby. It's well known that smoking cigarettes during pregnancy can harm women and their babies. But research suggests that pregnant women who vape believe that using e-cigarettes is less harmful than smoking cigarettes.

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Can pregnant women smoke e-cigarettes?

Pregnant women often don 't know if their e-cigarettes contain nicotine. Some also might use e-cigarettes during pregnancy because of the perception that the devices can help them quit or reduce cigarette smoking.

Can a baby smoke e-cigarettes?

While use of e-cigarettes might expose a growing baby to fewer toxins compared with those from regular cigarette use, nicotine exposure of any kind is harmful to a baby. If you're pregnant and you smoke or vape, quitting is the best way to give your baby a healthy start.

Is it safe to smoke e-cigarettes while pregnant?

E-cigarette liquids also contain chemicals, flavors and other additives that might not be safe for your baby. It's well known that smoking cigarettes during pregnancy can harm women and their babies.

Is vaping safe during pregnancy?

Using electronic cigarettes (vaping) during pregnancy isn't safe. Most electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) contain nicotine, which permanently damages a baby's developing brain and many other organs. E-cigarette liquids also contain chemicals, flavors and other additives that might not be safe for your baby.

Why do e-cigarettes vaporize nicotine?

E-cigarettes vaporize nicotine to provide a smoker's hit without the risk of tar and other cancerous chemicals.

Is vaping harmful to children?

Recent tests suggest that vaping damages the child's nervous system, making it just as harmful as smoking tobacco.

Is vaping harmful to pregnant women?

Recent tests have suggested vaping is just as harmful as smoking tobacco for pregnant women. (Mario Anzuoni/Reuters) "There are potential dangers revealed by these studies indicating a possible impact to the unborn child that may be seen at birth but may occur later in the life of the child.

Can pregnant women smoke e-cigarettes?

End of dialog window. Pregnant women who smoke e-cigarettes may be harming their unborn babies, research has revealed. Pregnant women who smoke e-cigarettes may be harming their unborn babies, research has revealed. Recent tests suggest that vaping damages the child's nervous system, making it just as harmful as smoking tobacco.

What Is Vaping?

Smoking an e-cigarette, or a similar device, is known as vaping. E-cigarettes are electronic cigarettes. They are battery-powered, and work on liquid-filled cartridges. They work when the liquid gets heated and turns into vapor. This vapor is then inhaled by the user. It is because of this that smoking an e-cigarette is known as vaping.

What E-Liquids Do E-Cigarettes Contain?

While there are many chemicals that may go into making the e-liquid, there are four standard ingredients that are used. These are nicotine, water, vegetable glycerine base of propylene glycol, and flavorings. Let us look at each component in a little more detail:

Why do people want e-cigarettes?

Most people opt for e-cigarettes when they are addicted to nicotine but want to find a way to reduce the dosage that they consume.

Can smoking cigarettes cause cancer?

Smoking regular cigarettes have been known to cause many health issues, out of which cancer is a very serious and notable one. E-cigarettes have also been linked to lung diseases and cancer. The level of nicotine that is present in e-cigarettes is not always reported correctly on the packaging.

Is vaping bad for pregnancy?

While there are the obvious health issues with nicotine, vaping can have some serious consequences when it comes to your pregnancy specifically. Here are some dangers caused by vaping of which you should be aware:

Is smoking e-cigarettes while pregnant dangerous?

How to Limit Exposure to E-Cigarettes When Pregnant. FAQs. Most people are well aware that smoking while pregnant is quite harmful to both the mother and the baby. Even so, some women may continue their nicotine habit even while they are expecting.

Is e-cigarette smoke harmful?

The vapor emitted from an e-cigarette is just as harmful as the smoke emitted from a regular cigarette.

Is it safe to quit smoking while pregnant?

Although it would be safer to quit altogether whilst pregnant, it is widely understood how difficult that can be.

Is vaping 0% nicotine safe for pregnant women?

As there is no nicotine, surely it can’t be that harmful to your baby? Again, the results from these studies cannot yet confirm if this is safe or not. Scientists are still unsure of the effects that e-liquid chemicals can have on unborn babies.

Can you vape while pregnant?

Vaping while pregnant. It’s common knowledge that smoking cigarettes whilst you are pregnant can harm your unborn child, and cause a myriad of health issues. Many of these health issues can cause permanent damage to your baby, and have negative effects for the duration of his or her entire life. Vaping is touted as a safer alternative ...

Can second-hand ‘vape smoke’ cause harm to pregnant women?

It is also worth noting that so-called “passive vaping” poses no known risks to bystanders.

What is vaping?

Vaping is the act of using an e-cigarette — specifically, the inhaling of vapor from e-cigarettes such as JUULs, cig-a-likes, vape pens, personalized vaporizers and mechanical mods. The point of vaping is to deliver nicotine, a particularly addictive drug, to the body.

How old do you have to be to buy a vape?

They were first regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2016, some 10 years after they first hit the market. Now, you must be over 21 to buy vaping products, and manufacturers have to apply for permission from the FDA to sell their product and list in detail every ingredient they use plus exactly how it's made.

What is the minimum age to buy a cigarette?

In December 2019, the minimum age to buy tobacco products, including cigarettes and e-cigarettes, was raised to 21 — a good thing, since the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) warns that any exposure to nicotone, including secondhand exposure from e-cigarettes, may be dangerous for children.

What is the point of vaping?

The point of vaping is to deliver nicotine, a particularly addictive drug, to the body. Vaping devices can resemble traditional tobacco cigarettes, but many look more like pens or, in the case of JUULs, USB drives.

What happens if you smoke a second hand?

Babies exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and kids exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to be sick more often with ear infections, colds, bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma and breathing problems.

How many times more likely are children to be admitted to the hospital from e-cigarettes?

In addition, children exposed to e-cigarettes were more than 5 times more likely to be admitted to the hospital and more than twice as likely to have a severe health outcome than kids exposed to regular cigarettes.

Is vaping harmful?

There are dangers to vaping or JUULing. For starters, vaping devices don 't emit harmless water vapor — instead, they release aerosol that contains toxic chemicals, some of which have been linked to cancer, heart disease and respiratory disease.

How many women vape before pregnancy?

According to a March 2019 study, 7% of women reported vaping three months before pregnancy, while pregnant, or up to six months after delivery. More than 38% of women who vaped during the last trimester reported using products that contained nicotine. Further compounding the issue, vaping rates have skyrocketed among middle and high school girls. ...

Why did the FDA warn about vaping?

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent a warning letter to a prominent vaping products company, saying it had violated federal regulations because it did not receive agency approval to market its products as a healthier alternative to cigarettes.

Why do people vape?

There is no data to suggest vaping can help people quit smoking. In fact, there are several reasons that vaping may keep patients addicted to nicotine: 1 Vaping is more socially acceptable than smoking. ENDS typically don’t leave a noticeable scent in the user’s hair or clothing. 2 Sweet and fruity flavored products taste better than traditional tobacco to many patients. 3 The amount of nicotine is unregulated and not always appropriately labeled on packaging.

Is vaping better for pregnant women?

Unfortunately, many pregnant women have been led to believe that vaping instead of smoking is healthier for their babies. This confusion can be boiled down to a general lack of transparency with consumers and four widespread myths.

Can vaping harm a pregnant woman?

Vaping during pregnancy has deeper implications. In utero exposure to nicotine, which is found in many vaping products, is known to directly harm fetuses by causing abnormal lung, heart, brain, and immune system development, which carries lifelong consequences.

Can vaping help you quit smoking?

Myth 2: Vaping can help me quit smoking. There is no data to suggest vaping can help people quit smoking. In fact, there are several reasons that vaping may keep patients addicted to nicotine: Vaping is more socially acceptable than smoking. ENDS typically don’t leave a noticeable scent in the user’s hair or clothing.

Does vaping harm fetuses?

In utero exposure to nicotine, which is found in many vaping products, is known to directly harm fetuses by causing abnormal lung, heart, brain, and immune system development, which carries lifelong consequences.".

What are e-cigarettes called?

And the terminology is just as varied — you may hear them called e-cigs, cigalikes, vape pens, personalized vaporizers or mechanical mods.

Is e-cigarette regulated?

These products are difficult to study: No researcher would willingly put an expecting mom potentially in harm's way in the name of research. What's more, there are hundreds of e-cigarette brands and thousands of e-liquid flavors, and they just recently began to be regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Are e-cigarettes safer than regular cigarettes?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and a 2016 Surgeon General report say that e-cigarettes are not safe for pregnant women, but because vaping has a potential benefit to smokers who are not pregnant, researchers are still conducting studies.

Is vaping dangerous when you're pregnant?

Smoking during pregnancy can be harmful to your baby both before and after birth — which is why many groups, including the AMA, AAP and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), which represents American OB-GYNs, urge moms to avoid lighting up at all during pregnancy.

Can vaping cause miscarriage?

That goes for conventional cigarettes as well as e-cigarettes, since vaping still exposes your baby to nicotine and other potentially harmful substances. Because e-cigarettes do contain nicotine, experts are concerned that they could also increase the risk for: Ectopic pregnancy. Miscarriage. Problems with the placenta (such as placental abruption)

Is e-cigarette vapor harmful?

But e-cigarette vapor definitely isn't harmless water vapor. The liquids used in e-cigarettes are typically made up of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, nicotine and flavoring chemicals. And some research has shown that when this liquid is heated at a high voltage (some vaping products allow the user to determine how low or high the voltage to produce more or less vapor), other chemicals are formed, and some of them, like formaldehyde, cause cancer.

Can you smoke cigarettes while pregnant?

Or, if you're a non-smoker, you might have wondered whether secondhand vapor from electronic cigarettes affects your baby.

How does vaping work?

The devices work by heating the liquid, which turns it into vapor. The user then inhales the vapor, a process known as vaping. It is important to understand that electronic cigarettes are basically devices that deliver nicotine into the system. It might be true that e-cigarettes are safer than traditional cigarettes, but that does not mean that they are good for you.

Why are e-cigarettes so addictive?

The main ingredient that makes e-cigarettes so addictive is nicotine. Nicotine is dangerous for pregnant women. It can increase the rate of respiration, heart rate, and blood pressure. It helps to know that the cartridge may contain more nicotine than what is listed on the label. Vaping while pregnant can affect the baby’s developing brain and lungs.

Can pregnant women smoke e-cigarettes?

Some women who have found it difficult to quit smoking continue the habit even while pregnant. There are also women who try to look for alternatives to cigarettes in order to get their nicotine fix. Unfortunately, many women have turned to vaping, in the mistaken belief that it is a safe alternative. The truth is that e-cigarettes are not safe for pregnant women in spite of what the manufacturers claim. Here's what pregnant women need to know about their harmful ingredients.

Is it safe to use e-cigarettes?

Traditional cigarettes contain many harmful chemicals that are responsible for different health issues, including cancer. By replacing traditional cigarettes with e-cigarettes, you may be reducing the toxins that you inhale but you are not much safer. E-cigarettes contain nicotine and other harmful chemicals. Unfortunately, e-cigarettes are not regulated by the FDA and the level of nicotine present in devices is not reported. This means that users are not aware of the amount of nicotine they take in, making them a threat to health.

Is glycerine safe for children?

This may be one of the safer ingredients but it is important to remember that the e-liquids are not tested for purity and quality. In some cases, the e-liquid may be contaminated with harmful substances that can affect the unborn child. They include heavy metals such as lead, tin, and nickel.

Can you quit smoking while pregnant?

It may be difficult to quit smoking due to the addictive quality of nicotine. However, now that you are pregnant, the need to quit is quite urgent. There are some resources that can help you to quit. They include nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), prescription medication, complementary and alternative therapy (CAM) such as acupuncture or hypnosis. If you have the willpower, quitting cold turkey is a good option.

Is vaping safe while pregnant?

Vaping during pregnancy can cause harm to you and your unborn baby. You may not enjoy hearing this especially if you find it difficult to quit smoking. Initially, e-cigarettes were marketed as an effective way to help people quit smoking. If you are pregnant, vaping is not much safer for you. Vaping supplies nicotine and other toxic chemicals to the body. The unborn child is exposed to harmful toxins that pass from the mother via the placenta.

How does vaping affect pregnancy?

However, nicotine use narrows the blood vessels, which can result in lack of oxygen and nutrients for the baby. At the same time, e-cigs contain chemicals that might be carcinogenic.

Is e-liquid carcinogenic?

On top of that, e-cigs contain many chemicals and experts can’t be sure which toxins reach the baby and which not. In fact, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency revealed that some chemicals are carcinogenic. A study showed that after the e-liquid’s been heated, chemicals like formaldehyde are formed, which is carcinogenic.

Is vaping while pregnant safe?

Though it seems like it should be safer to vape without nicotine while pregnant, there are some studies that show that it is equally dangerous. Since these are early days in the context of vaping, there are no concrete results that definitively say that it is 100% safe or unsafe.

Can a newborn have nicotine withdrawal?

Asthma. ADHD. Note that the newborn may go through nicotine withdrawal, which can lead to trouble sleeping, eating disorders, and irritability. Therefore, many organizations, such as the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, recommend avoiding vaping and smoking during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Can vaping affect your health?

Far from the physical health of the pregnant woman, vaping may affect her social health . As often any unhealthy habit during pregnancy is easily stigmatized by people, expectant women who vape may experience isolation or verbal abuse, which can cause additional stress to the body. Any burst of cortisol can hurt the fetus.

Is vaping hard to regulate?

As e-cigs and vaporizers come in all shapes and flavors, vaping is something hard to regulate. In fact, up to 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration couldn’t keep track on all the hundreds of brands and thousands of flavors on the market. What’s more, vaping and pregnancy is a topic that has not been researched in-depth yet;

Can vaping stop you from smoking?

Nobody can stop you, but the safest option, according to experts, is to stay away from vaping and smoking. Vaping can lead to numerous problems, such as difficulties with the placenta, premature birth, stillbirth, low weight, nicotine withdrawal, and congenital disabilities. Vaping after pregnancy also has a negative effect on kids ...

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