Its that time
of the year again where people embark on long journeys, ditch their bosses for
a while just so they can celebrate Christmas with family and friends.
For many also, it's a season when there'll be plenty to eat & drink.
Growing up,
as children, we would make Christmas wishes and we always got excited when they
are fulfilled. However, for some people, Christmas brought no respite from the
everyday challenges they faced as it was just another day amongst many and as a
result, some have inoculated ourselves
from the pain so they do not have to go through the hassles of wishing for
something they know will never come true.
Whatever
class we belong, those who still have Christmas hopes
or those who associate the season with unpleasant thoughts, our one wish this
Christmas will be of value to everyone and it is that we see a smoke-free
Nigeria emerge from the current status. As a nation with a varied number of
health challenges including losing children at unripe ages, we see the
emergence of a smoke-free Nigeria as a key contributor to ensuring our
current high child mortality rate is reduced significantly.
If you are a
mom/mom-to-be that smokes or you know anyone that does, kindly consider or
relay this information below and we believe that after this, you'll be able to
help make our Christmas wish come true -
How smoking affects your baby:
Weight and size
On average, a pack-a-day habit during pregnancy will shave about a half-pound from a baby's birth weight. Smoking two packs a day throughout your pregnancy could make your baby a full pound or more lighter. While some women may welcome the prospect of delivering a smaller baby, stunting a baby's growth in the womb can have negative consequences that last a lifetime.
Body and lungs
Undersize babies tend to have underdeveloped bodies. Their lungs may not be ready to work on their own, which means they may spend their first days or weeks attached to a respirator. After they're breathing on their own (or even if they did from the start), these babies may have continuing breathing problems — because of delayed lung development or other adverse effects of nicotine. Children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are especially vulnerable to asthma, and have double or even triple the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Weight and size
On average, a pack-a-day habit during pregnancy will shave about a half-pound from a baby's birth weight. Smoking two packs a day throughout your pregnancy could make your baby a full pound or more lighter. While some women may welcome the prospect of delivering a smaller baby, stunting a baby's growth in the womb can have negative consequences that last a lifetime.
Body and lungs
Undersize babies tend to have underdeveloped bodies. Their lungs may not be ready to work on their own, which means they may spend their first days or weeks attached to a respirator. After they're breathing on their own (or even if they did from the start), these babies may have continuing breathing problems — because of delayed lung development or other adverse effects of nicotine. Children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are especially vulnerable to asthma, and have double or even triple the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Heart
Babies whose mother smoked in the first trimester of pregnancy are more
likely to have a heart defect at birth.
Researchers analyzed data on 2,525 babies who had heart defects at birth
and 3,435 healthy babies born in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., between 1981
and 1989.
Brain function
Smoking during pregnancy can
have lifelong effects on your baby's brain. Children of pregnant smokers are
especially likely to have learning disorders, behavioral problems, and
relatively low IQs.
In summary,
we're saying is stop smoking and if you don't smoke, help someone to stop and
let's make it possible for our children to live in a smoke-free Nigeria.
Merry
Christmas!!!
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