Smoking and pregnancy

How smoking harms your baby

Your baby receives all the oxygen, nutrients and antibodies they need from your blood supply. When you smoke (or breathe in other people's smoke) you inhale a poisonous gas called carbon monoxide (CO) and damaging chemicals that are in cigarettes. This restricts the amount of oxygen your baby gets and affects their growth and development.

Continuing to smoke during pregnancy increases the chance of:

• miscarriage

• stillbirth

• low birthweight

• premature birth

• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

• your baby having a cleft lip and palate

• your child having learning or behavioural problems as they grow up

The good news is, when you stop smoking, it only takes around 24 hours for the poisonous gas carbon monoxide to clear from your bloodstream. Your baby will quickly start getting more oxygen, reducing the chance of complications in your pregnancy and during your baby's birth.

Carbon monoxide, smoking and your baby

This guide gives more information on carbon monoxide (CO) and the damaging effects it can have on an unborn baby:

Carbon monoxide, smoking and your baby (pdf, October 2026)

NHS Highland offers carbon monoxide testing to all pregnant women to help reduce the incidence of stillbirth.

Second hand smoke

Second hand smoke is harmful to you and your baby before and after their birth. More than 80% of second hand smoke is invisible and doesn't smell.

Exposure to second hand smoke carries the same risks as smoking yourself.

Babies whose parents smoke are also more likely to be admitted to hospital during the first year of life, as they are more likely to develop infections that can affect their breathing, such as bronchitis and pneumonia.

If you smoke, you will find it harder to quit if someone living with you also smokes.

It doesn't matter how careful others think they are about keeping smoke away from you. If someone smokes in your home, you and your baby still breathe in the harmful poisons. Opening windows and doors or smoking in another room will not make it completely safe. Having a completely smoke-free home is the safest option.

Read more about the benefits of smoke-free homes as a way to protect children, young people, adults and pets from the effects of second hand smoke.

Your family and friends can access free support to stop smoking from Smoke Free Highland.

Nicotine replacement therapy

Tobacco contains nicotine which is highly addictive. When you stop smoking, you can experience temporary discomfort or "withdrawals" as your body adapts to not receiving nicotine regularly.

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is a treatment that helps people to stop smoking by providing controlled doses of nicotine through medication, without carbon monoxide or the other harmful chemicals found in tobacco. Many Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) products are safe to use in pregnancy. Your stop smoking adviser or pharmacy can arrange for you to receive free NRT products to suit you.

The risks of using NRT to help you stop smoking are far less than the risks for your unborn baby if you continue to smoke.

Staying stopped after baby's birth

Once your baby is here you may feel as though your reason for giving up smoking is over - but it isn't! It's still very important that you stay stopped after pregnancy. Think of what you have achieved by stopping smoking during your pregnancy - you should feel so proud!

Remaining smoke-free will result in lots of health benefits for you and your baby. Think of the money you can save to spend on your baby, or on a treat for yourself.

Research shows that children of smoking parents are more likely to try smoking and become regular smokers. If you don't want your children to smoke it's best to set a smoke-free example.

We know that life as a parent can be stressful. If you ever feel tempted to return to smoking, don't hesitate to get in touch with the NHS Highland Smoke-Free service to get back on track - we are here for you whenever you need us.