Are E-cigs harmful in pregnancy?
According to a new research they could harm your unborn baby and are as dangerous as tobacco
We often get approached to promote special offers on products and we’ve always stayed away from promoting e-cigs because it feels like we don’t know enough.
There has a new test been done in the US to try and find any dangers to your unborn baby whilst using an e-cig. The research shows that pregnant women who use e-cigs may be harming their unborn babies.
Tests suggest vaping damages the foetus’s nervous system, making it as harmful as smoking tobacco.
Scientists found it can lead to poorer learning, memory and co-ordination and a rise in hyperactive behaviour.
It may also reduce a newborn’s sperm count and damage sperm DNA.
There are over 2 million brits who use e-cigs because they see them as ‘safe’, however, there hasn’t been enough tests done to prove this.
The lead researcher Prof Judith Zelikoff said the findings illustrated for the first time the potential danger to the unborn child.
“What it shows is that there is certainly some concern over the safety of e-cigarettes, particularly in relation to pregnant women or young infants. There are potential dangers revealed by these studies indicating a possible impact to the unborn child that may be seen at birth but may occur later in the life of the child. The perception is that e-cigarettes are completely safe for pregnant women and vulnerable groups like infants, but we can’t say that. This is groundbreaking research.
Are they safer than cigarettes? The answer’s not there but they don’t appear to be.
Judith continued ”One has to assume that these products are not safe for this particular population. Our studies should give pause to people who are pregnant and using these products as an alternative. While more studies are needed to better understand these effects, these translational studies suggest that early life exposure to alternative tobacco/nicotine products can adversely affect reproduction, development and long term health. Women may be turning to these products as an alternative because they think they’re safe. Well, they’re not. Our findings should open people’s eyes by showing that this is something that potentially can be harmful if used during pregnancy. It should lead to much more research – this is just the beginning.”
Her studies on mice show that – just like cigarette smoke – vaping chemicals disrupt gene activity in the part the brain
responsible for higher mental functions.
One in eight pregnant women in the UK continue smoking regular cigarettes
Dr Patrick O’Brien, of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said “Pregnant women and their families should be encouraged and supported to stop smoking. Nicotine replacement therapy can help some people quit and is free on the NHS for pregnant women. E-cigarettes are becoming a popular alternative to tobacco smoking, but at the moment what is in them is not controlled and some have been found to contain harmful substances as well as nicotine, as this study in mice demonstrates. As the long-term risks for the developing baby from using them are not known, we do not recommend women use these products in pregnancy. Women who want help giving up smoking should talk to their GP, midwife or stop smoking advisor for more information.”
There is no evidence to suggest that e-cigs are safe in any context. People forget that Drs used to recommend cigarettes as a good way to “clear out the lungs” because they encouraged coughing.