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Pregnant women smoking
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Watching the news today has made me think.
The smoking ban in public places is to protect people from the damaging effect of other people's smoke. It seems there is now clear statistical evidence of a link between smoking and sudden infant death syndrome.
Is it not time then to make it illegal for pregnnt women to smoke?
The smoking ban in public places is to protect people from the damaging effect of other people's smoke. It seems there is now clear statistical evidence of a link between smoking and sudden infant death syndrome.
Is it not time then to make it illegal for pregnnt women to smoke?
Answers
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does this risk aldso include parents who smoke after the birth? Not just mothers
Sadly I know of women who have lost babies to SIDS, premature birth and placental abruption who have never smoked in their lives.
I also know of women who have smoked 20 a day throughout pregnancy and gone on to have healthy babies, usually overdue. And osme who have cut down as much as they can but been unable to quit and again had healthy bbabies.
If you are to suggest making it illegal to smoke when pregnant then what about alcohol, pate, peanuts. All the things that can cause serious problems. Make it illegal for any parent to smoke, granparents too for that matter if the have contact with baby
Midwives obviously do all they can to advise women, but some women just cant quit. Midwives will recommend that the woman at least cuts back to 5 a day if they cant quit as the stress of trying to quit can be equally damaging to baby apparently.
Its not as if these women can be helped with patches and drugs to help them quit. And will power isnt always good enough.
Sadly I know of women who have lost babies to SIDS, premature birth and placental abruption who have never smoked in their lives.
I also know of women who have smoked 20 a day throughout pregnancy and gone on to have healthy babies, usually overdue. And osme who have cut down as much as they can but been unable to quit and again had healthy bbabies.
If you are to suggest making it illegal to smoke when pregnant then what about alcohol, pate, peanuts. All the things that can cause serious problems. Make it illegal for any parent to smoke, granparents too for that matter if the have contact with baby
Midwives obviously do all they can to advise women, but some women just cant quit. Midwives will recommend that the woman at least cuts back to 5 a day if they cant quit as the stress of trying to quit can be equally damaging to baby apparently.
Its not as if these women can be helped with patches and drugs to help them quit. And will power isnt always good enough.
You are right of course.
It just makes me mad that people can be so irresponsible to smoke knowing full well the harm it can cause to a developing baby.
Just because someone else did it without apparently causing damage is not justification. That is like saying my grandfather drove drunk throughout his life without causing a crash, so it is OK for me to drink and drive.
It just makes me mad that people can be so irresponsible to smoke knowing full well the harm it can cause to a developing baby.
Just because someone else did it without apparently causing damage is not justification. That is like saying my grandfather drove drunk throughout his life without causing a crash, so it is OK for me to drink and drive.
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smokers know what harm it can cause themselves, that doesnt stop them either. As legend says its and addiction.
Those that really dont want to even cut down at all or take drugs, drink, smoke and generally carry on as if they couldnt care less for a baby are the ones that need the most help.
my neighbour from hell was complaining to another one day about how the social services were trying to stop her taking drugs and generally saying what she thought of that (i wont repeat the language). She had 3 kidsunder the age of 4 and was 6 months pregnant at the time.
Those that really dont want to even cut down at all or take drugs, drink, smoke and generally carry on as if they couldnt care less for a baby are the ones that need the most help.
my neighbour from hell was complaining to another one day about how the social services were trying to stop her taking drugs and generally saying what she thought of that (i wont repeat the language). She had 3 kidsunder the age of 4 and was 6 months pregnant at the time.
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i once knew a woman who had had several miscarriages and who still went on to smoke throughout her pregnancy despite having other risk factors for the baby too... it boggles the mind!
thankfully the baby was healthy despite coming very early also.
my own opinion is that it is wrong to smoke when you are pregnant or around children for that matter but I can appreciate how hard it is to quit as I have quit myself.
thankfully the baby was healthy despite coming very early also.
my own opinion is that it is wrong to smoke when you are pregnant or around children for that matter but I can appreciate how hard it is to quit as I have quit myself.
Not trying to provoke war here and totally agree with comments made but for God's sake, what happened to freedom of speech and action in this country. Everyday, more and more laws are coming into effect that diminish the average person's ability to do anything that was permissible 20 years ago.
I don't think women who are pregnant should smoke and not normally so politically minded but can't we at least preserve the freedom we have and ensure that all poeple have this without the prejudice that is so often cast.
I don't think women who are pregnant should smoke and not normally so politically minded but can't we at least preserve the freedom we have and ensure that all poeple have this without the prejudice that is so often cast.
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I'm deeply saddened whenever I see a woman who is clearly pregnant smoking. The �nurturer� in me wants to speak with the woman. But I�m sure we all know what the typical response might be.
Our nation is often referred to as a �nanny state.� Laws to protect us from ourselves and presumably guide us towards being better people abound. But there�s a very fine line between where we begin to dictate rather than guide.
I know the way I raise my children will be uniquely different than the way someone else raises their child. This does not make �my way� the correct way.
And whilst we already have laws that are defined to protect the rights of children, that law becomes quicksand in the eyes of �how I see it, how You see it, and the way it really is.� Personally, I would love a law that requires any product that contains aspartame to identified with a sizeable red �A� as a warning to consumers and especially parents of small children, that this is a carcinogen and can harm their child. But my practical side says, then common sense would dictate labels for oils, sugars, trans-fats and a plethora of other things. It�s so difficult to decide where to stop.
In some ways, the smoking mother�s behaviour pales in comparison to the environment in which that child may come to live. Poor nutrition, failure of the parents to engage, embrace and inspire their child, verbal denigration and mortification of the child, failure to provide the child with any inspiration in life, mental torment, physical neglect, and emotional blackmail.
In other countries, where freedoms are often not quite understood, I remember an event I witnessed in Transilvania Romania. I�ve worked with homeless street children there for years. It has made me aware that often, those with �homes� are not in much better circumstances than those without.
Continued:
Our nation is often referred to as a �nanny state.� Laws to protect us from ourselves and presumably guide us towards being better people abound. But there�s a very fine line between where we begin to dictate rather than guide.
I know the way I raise my children will be uniquely different than the way someone else raises their child. This does not make �my way� the correct way.
And whilst we already have laws that are defined to protect the rights of children, that law becomes quicksand in the eyes of �how I see it, how You see it, and the way it really is.� Personally, I would love a law that requires any product that contains aspartame to identified with a sizeable red �A� as a warning to consumers and especially parents of small children, that this is a carcinogen and can harm their child. But my practical side says, then common sense would dictate labels for oils, sugars, trans-fats and a plethora of other things. It�s so difficult to decide where to stop.
In some ways, the smoking mother�s behaviour pales in comparison to the environment in which that child may come to live. Poor nutrition, failure of the parents to engage, embrace and inspire their child, verbal denigration and mortification of the child, failure to provide the child with any inspiration in life, mental torment, physical neglect, and emotional blackmail.
In other countries, where freedoms are often not quite understood, I remember an event I witnessed in Transilvania Romania. I�ve worked with homeless street children there for years. It has made me aware that often, those with �homes� are not in much better circumstances than those without.
Continued:
Part 2
One afternoon I watched an American tobacco company distribute free cigarettes to women, children and virtually anyone who wanted them. Along with the free packs of ten cigarettes was a �marketing information slip.� On one side it showed a young couple sitting on the back of a yacht, both demonstrably content with the cigarettes they had in their hand.
On the reverse side was the marketing message. It said..(I�ll paraphrase): Smoking this brand is the hip thing to do in America and is considered to be the favourite among intelligent Americans. (possibly an oxymoron there I� sure). But the final sentence was what infuriated me. It went on to say: �Besides being �hip� smoking this brand takes away hunger for you and your family.�
It may not have been the intention of the marketing people in the states for it to have been this blunt when it was written in English. But the honest translation cut away all of the niceties of marketing.
Sadly, when it comes to protecting others, the greatest peril we face is from ourselves.
I wish you well
Fr Bill
One afternoon I watched an American tobacco company distribute free cigarettes to women, children and virtually anyone who wanted them. Along with the free packs of ten cigarettes was a �marketing information slip.� On one side it showed a young couple sitting on the back of a yacht, both demonstrably content with the cigarettes they had in their hand.
On the reverse side was the marketing message. It said..(I�ll paraphrase): Smoking this brand is the hip thing to do in America and is considered to be the favourite among intelligent Americans. (possibly an oxymoron there I� sure). But the final sentence was what infuriated me. It went on to say: �Besides being �hip� smoking this brand takes away hunger for you and your family.�
It may not have been the intention of the marketing people in the states for it to have been this blunt when it was written in English. But the honest translation cut away all of the niceties of marketing.
Sadly, when it comes to protecting others, the greatest peril we face is from ourselves.
I wish you well
Fr Bill
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