Smoking affects reproductive function of the couple, subsequent pregnancy outcomes and health of the unborn child. Here's how and tips to deal with it
The menace of smoking has tremendously increased in our society where females are exposed to active as well as passive smoking which adversely affects their health in a big way. Smoking attracts most youngsters in their teens or adolescent period and the reasons may lie in their home - smoking parents, low parental education, etc or disruption of mental health may also be one of the reasons – low self-esteem, depression, etc.
Social reasons such as peer pressure, smoking friends, alcohol consumption in peer groups, etc may contribute to smoking or television, cinema and social media may also be sometimes responsible. Cigarette manufacturing companies have noticed the rising trend of smoking in girls a long time back and this is evident from marketing gimmicks eg manufacturing cigarettes especially for ladies - slimmer, glamorous and elegant mild cigarettes where some cigarette packs even resemble lipstick packaging.
in an interview with HT lifestyle, Dr Shilpa Agrawal, Consultant IVF and Fertility at Cloudnine Group of Hospitals in Panchkula shared, “Medical science now states very clearly that lifestyle has an immense effect on the reproductive function of the couple, subsequent pregnancy outcomes and the health of the unborn child. The fact that these lifestyle choices are modifiable makes these very important for a couple's fertility. Lifestyle modification constitutes a major chunk of preconception counselling by a fertility expert.”
How does smoking affect fertility?
Dr Shilpa Agrawal explained, “Almost every organ in our body bears the brunt of smoking. Both female and male fertility are negatively affected by smoking. Smoke contains heavy metals, hydrocarbons and amines, drastically reducing the chances of conception. Smoking changes hormonal balances in the body and causes a negative impact on fertility. Smoking has a negative impact on the ovaries, which are the female reproductive organs. It causes accelerated egg depletion, leading to reduced ovarian reserve and premature menopause.”
She elaborated, “Oxidative stress in the follicular fluid increases tremendously which impairs the quality and quantity of the available eggs. These poor-quality eggs further have reduced chances of fertilization and increased chances of aneuploidy (genetic abnormalities). The inner lining of the endometrium is also adversely affected which reduces the chances of implantation of the embryo. Women smokers undergoing IVF treatment for infertility also have reduced chances of success of treatment. There is a reduced response to ovarian stimulation, the eggs which are retrieved are of poor quality and are immature and the embryos that form are slow growing and have diminished implantation rates.”
Smoking in pregnant women
Dr Shilpa Agrawal revealed, “Smoking pregnant women have an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, fetal growth abnormalities, increased blood pressure and other serious complicated pregnancies which necessitate NICU admission and stillbirth. The health of the child is also adversely affected causing reduced lung functions, kidney diseases and increased blood pressures. Cognitive performance of the child later on in life is also negatively affected. There are also concerns about the future fertility of the child as well because of the negative effect on sperm and eggs.”
Tips by expert:
Talking about what doctors recommend for smoking females, Dr Shilpa Agrawal said, “The recommendations are to stop smoking as soon as possible. After smoking cessation, reproductive risks are mitigated to a significant extent within 1 year. Behavioural intervention including counselling, education, monitoring and consistent support is of utmost importance for this. Drugs used for smoking cessation by nicotine replacement have not been found to have adverse maternal or fetal effects. However, data on the use of these drugs is limited. These drugs may, therefore, be considered when behavioural intervention fails.”
Highlighting how to tackle this menace, she said, “Education is the solution to most societal problems and education starts at home. It is very important for parents who smoke, to quit smoking. It will not only be beneficial for their health but also set a good example for their kids. Parents should try to make their children strong-willed and not bow down to peer pressure so that they can resist the temptation to try smoking. Rich values of our Indian culture should be inculcated deep into the hearts of the teens which will go a long way in shaping their personality positively. Schools should take the lead in promoting anti–smoking programmes and teach young kids the tremendous hazards of smoking. It is necessary to design and implement appropriate educational programmes for kids and make these programmes an essential part of the curriculum.”
Dr Shilpa Agrawal concluded, “It is time that we, as a society, take more onus on ourselves to prevent smoking in adolescent groups. Strong laws should be implemented to prevent smoking among the younger generation. Shopkeepers should also own up to responsibility and be wary about selling these hazardous products to kids from schools and colleges. In a nutshell, it is only together that we can tackle this menace. Strong steps need to be taken at home, in school and in other parts of society so that the future of this country can be saved from this menace.”
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