The harmful effects of common social habits, especially smoking and using oral contraceptive steroids, on pregnancy

Abstract

Maternal smoking adversely affects the incidence of spontaneous abortions, placental haemorrhages, low‐birth‐weight infants, congenital abnormalities and the future physical and mental health of children. Paternal smoking increases the risk of facial abnormalities and cot deaths. Oral contraceptive steroid use increases the risk of abortion, chromosomal abnormalities and congenital defects. Both habits can cause vascular disease, immune abnormalities, food and chemical allergies and liver dysfunction. The changes caused by smoking and oral contraceptives are potentially teratogenic and do not always resolve when these common social habits are discontinued.