What is worse while pregnant, smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol?

Question

which one causes more harm to the developing baby inside the womb?

Answer 1

Cigarettes- have adverse effects on a developing child. one includes miscarriage. more likely to have low birth weight, still birth, and other complications. also more likely to experience bleeding. the substances in cigarettes may elevate heart rate and blood pressure in the fetus causing it to increase its movements within the uterus and depriving it of adequate nutrients by reducing mothers appetite. Long term effects poorer school performance, hyperactivity, perceptual-motor development difficulties, and learning disabilities.

alcohol- Birth defects. Increase the risk of having a child with fetal alcohol syndrome. FAS can include slowed pre and post-natally, brain and central nervous system disturbances, mild mental retardation, organ malformations, and malformed facial features. Long term effects can cause hyperactivity, learning disabilities, and affect school performance.

Which one causes more harm? Both have similarities but I guess I would have to say alcohol. Although really I do not want to choose, I say both are very very harmful. I would not do either while pregnant!!!

recreational drugs and caffeine were not asked about but those have harmful affects as well.

Answer 2

I think an important point is how much is done.

I was worried about the moderate drinking I had done before I knew I was pregnant. My Dr reminded me that the alcohol studies most quoted were done on women who drank a bit daily throught their pregnancy (5-6 drinks/day).

Of course you shouldn't drink once you know but a beer or glass of wine has not been shown to cause issues.

I'd be interested to know what amount of cigarettes caused issues but knowing many smokers who have had lung cancer and other horrible health problems my guess would be, taken in equal parts, smoking would be worse.

Answer 3

Are you debating about which one to do?

Don't do either!

Alcohol can have severe lasting effects-- fetal alcohol syndrome. The child will effectively be mentally retarded and look a little different too (flattened nose, etc.).

Smoking causes low birth weight, decreased oxygen to the baby and its developing brain-- not good either.

I don't know if you and a friend are debating because one does one and one does the other, but you need to quit both RIGHT NOW. Don't be selfish. Would you stick alcohol in a baby's bottle and blow smoke in his face?

Answer 4

well i am not terribly sure, but both cause severe problems as an amount of poison (be it alcohol or the properties in cigarettes) are entering their system.
alcohol normally stunts growth along with other things, and denys the oxygen levels, as does smoking as they are breathing in the toxins and poison that the person is too, although there is another issue with second hand smoke,

personally i would say both are very dangerous esp. during pregnancy but could not say for sure which was worse

Answer 5

Drinking alcohol. But smoking is bad too. If you ARE pregnant, stay away from both to make sure that your baby will be as healthy as possible.

Answer 6

this question is a lose lose situation- Obviously getting drunk while pregnant is worse-but smoking is also very harmful it can cause ur baby to have lung problems low birthweight birth defects and the list goes on and on... you should stop smoking ASAP my sister smoked moderately till she was 7 months pregnant and her son was born with a fever he had to be in ICU and he has been sick all the time ever since- and hes 2!!! so it causes a weakened immune system! dont do either if you have a child you need to make sacrifices!!!

Answer 7

Alcohol

Alcohol causes mental retardation as well as physical deformaties.

Cigarettes only cause low birth weight and asthma.
Both are bad to do while pregnant.. .and yes, both do increase the chances of SIDS, but as far as what is worse - alcohol

Answer 8

Both terrible!! Don't do either!!!

But I will admit that I did smoke for a few weeks after I found out i was pregnant with the first one. I had alot of trouble quitting. The baby did receive the nicotine, but was weened off it, when I quit.

Answer 9

Alcohol and I'm curious why we're asking which is "worse" as if to choose the better of 2 evils?
If you are pregnant - do the best thing for your baby. Quit all of it immediately, seek good prenatal care, eat healthy food (look up "pregnancy diet" online for recommendations or ask your health care provider) and take care of yourself.

Answer 10

I would guess alcohol, but smoking is bad too becausse of the baby's developing lungs. Think about how bad cigarrette smoke is for adults, how harmful would that be to a baby who's lungs are trying to develop?