Health Promotion and Maintenance Q 107
The nurse is teaching a group of prenatal clients about the effects of cigarette smoke on fetal development. Which characteristic is associated with babies born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy?
A. Low birth weight
B. Large for gestational age
C. Preterm birth, but appropriate size for gestation
D. Growth retardation in weight and length
Correct Answer: A. Low birth weight
Infants of mothers who smoke are often low in birth weight. Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of health problems for developing babies, including preterm birth, low birth weight, and birth defects of the mouth and lip. Smoking during and after pregnancy also increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Option B: Infants who are large for gestational age are associated with diabetic mothers. The reason for excessive growth of the fetus varies but primarily results from an abundance of nutrients combined with hormones in the fetus that stimulate growth. In pregnant women who have diabetes, a large amount of sugar (glucose) crosses the placenta (the organ that provides nourishment to the fetus), resulting in high levels of glucose in the fetus’s blood. The high levels of glucose trigger the release of increased amounts of the hormone insulin from the fetus’s pancreas. The increased amount of insulin results in accelerated growth of the fetus, including almost all organs except the brain, which grows normally.
Option C: Preterm births are associated with smoking, but not with appropriate size for gestation. Mothers who smoke are more likely to deliver their babies early. Preterm delivery is a leading cause of death, disability, and disease among newborns. One in every five babies born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy has low birth weight.
Option D: Growth retardation is associated with smoking, but this does not affect the infant length. Both babies whose mothers smoke while pregnant and babies who are exposed to secondhand smoke after birth are more likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) than babies who are not exposed to cigarette smoke. Babies whose mothers smoke are about three times more likely to die from SIDS.