Smoking while breastfeeding: the risks you run if you don't stop right away
Smoking while breastfeeding exposes the baby to high risks due to the toxic substances present in classic cigarettes and also in electronic cigarettes. These substances pass through the mother's milk, which we remember being the baby's only source of nourishment in the first months of life. In addition, if the mother smokes, the baby will passively breathe the smoke. Before delving into this, here is a video showing all the things you shouldn't do in pregnancy.
Smoking while breastfeeding: the risks for the baby
Nicotine and other chemicals contained in tobacco smoke are sure to pass into breast milk. The health effects are not as dangerous as in pregnancy, but it is still wise to avoid smoking altogether if you are breastfeeding your baby. The phenomenon is similar to what happens with alcohol and drugs, so it is absolutely not to be underestimated.
The real problem would not lie so much in the nicotine that passes into the milk, but more in the toxic substances that are released into the environment by smoking, and which are then inhaled by the baby. In short, what really should be avoided is the exposure of the baby to passive smoking, and this applies not only if it is the mother who smokes, but the father or friends and relatives who visit.
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What Are the Effects of Breastfeeding Smoking on Babies?
We have seen that smoking while breastfeeding is harmful and nicotine passes into breast milk, but even if you decide to use formula milk for your baby, you must be very careful not to smoke indoors to avoid secondhand smoke. The fact that the mother smokes represents a risk factor for various negative conditions that can affect the baby: let's see which are the main ones.
- Death in the cot
- Lower respiratory tract diseases such as bronchitis and pneumonia
- Otitis
- Decreased lung function
Smoking during breastfeeding represents a health risk also because it can compromise breastfeeding and leads to a decrease in the quantity of milk. The effect may be due to nicotine lowering the levels of the hormone prolactin.
How to minimize the risks for children
What can be done to reduce and minimize the risks associated with smoking for the child? Here are some simple common sense rules to apply on a daily basis, especially if one of the parents smokes or if we know we have to receive smoking guests.
- Never smoke near the baby.
- Smoke only outdoors, avoiding homes and cars that would otherwise become saturated with smoke.
- Ask friends and family to do the same.
- If you are a mom who smokes: Try to limit the number of cigarettes smoked during the day and allow a certain amount of time to pass between the cigarette and the feed.
- If both parents are smokers: change clothes after smoking, and always before having to approach the child.
- In general, for anyone who smokes, the rules always apply to wash their hands after smoking, before touching the baby. In general, it is always a good idea to wash your hands well before touching a baby.
Frequently asked questions about smoking while breastfeeding
- If after smoking, mom waits some time before feeding, does the nicotine go away?
Given that as we said in the previous paragraphs, it would always be better to avoid smoking altogether, if you really can't do without it, you must consider that the longer you wait after smoking, the more the nicotine concentration will decrease, which will be quickly eliminated from the body. The fact of having to breastfeed can also be used as an expedient for the mother to smoke less and perhaps reduce cigarettes forever. However, since there are many risks related to exposure to secondhand smoke, in reality distancing breastfeeding and cigarettes never completely reduces the risks themselves.
- If I use e-cigarettes, is my child at risk?
Electronic cigarettes or (E-cig) are considered safer when it comes to breastfeeding? This is not quite the case, especially since no real studies have been done on it. The smoke generated by electronic cigarettes also contains chemicals or potentially chemicals, including nicotine. For these reasons, the ideal, during pregnancy and breastfeeding, would also be to suspend the use of electronic cigarettes.
- What is the maximum number of cigarettes in a day if you are breastfeeding?
It would be impossible to answer this question with a certain and absolute number. It must always be assumed that smoking is bad for your health and you should not do it regardless, whether you are pregnant, whether you are breastfeeding, and even if you are not in these particular conditions. So try to limit smoking as much as possible and if you are trying to quit, read our articles: How to quit smoking.
