Vaping has been deemed to be one of the safer ways to smoke. But how safe is it really? And how safe is it for pregnant mothers?
Vaping as a habit
Vaping is said to help cigarette smokers to quit, though there is no substantive results to support this as of this writing. While it may be true in some cases, it may not be for others. Vaping is electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes, which release a vapor when a cartridge of oil is heated. The oil can be different flavors. Since vaping has not been around for too long yet, some of its effects are still being studied, but a few things that we do know is that it still has an effect.
At the very least, the vapor that is inhaled still irritate the lungs, which in turn can damage the lungs considerably.
What does this mean for pregnant women?
This basically means that if you are pregnant and are vaping, it would still be a good idea for you to stop completely. Most electronic cigarette though boasting to have a lower tar count, still has nicotine which is the chemical that is harmful to a baby's development in the womb.
Nicotine in particular is bad for a baby's brain development. Even if there are fewer toxins in vaping, it would still be advisable to quit at any stage of the pregnancy. If a mother is scared of nicotine withdrawal symptoms during their pregnancy, it will not cause undue stress to the baby.
Long story short
Though vaping is said to be a 'safer' alternative to outright smoking of cigarettes, there is still not enough known
about it to be able to say that conclusively. The fact is that there are also chemicals in vaping, and its effect are still not well documented, it is better to err with caution and quit cold turkey as soon as a mother can.
If you need some tips on how to quit smoking, read this article, for some tips. If your partner or someone in your family is still smoking or vaping, please read this on the effects of second hand smoke.
To learn more, read here 5 Reasons Why Smoking while Pregnant is dangerous.