We know already that it is highly advisable to quit regular, combustible cigarettes completely during pregnancy, due to their association with lower birth-weight babies, pre-term births and adverse birth outcomes. Now, a new U.S.-Australian study has tackled the question of whether e-cigarette use improves outcomes for pregnancies compared to combustible cigarettes.
Electronic-cigarettes are often seen as “healthier” alternatives to combustible cigarettes, and are often marketed to people who are trying to quit cigarettes. Some studies suggest that such marketing has led to an increase in use of e-cigarettes among pregnant women. The study found that an estimated 7% of women use e-cigarettes around the time of pregnancy, and 45% of e-cigarette users believed e-cigarettes were less harmful than combustible cigarette smoking and may help them quit or reduce combustible cigarette smoking during pregnancy.
Despite these preconceptions, this study clearly showed that pregnant women who used e-cigarettes continued to have higher rates of pre-term births and low birth-weight babies – and they did not even aid in smoking cessation. As e-cigarettes contain nicotine, and nicotine is a developmental toxicant known to reduce utero-placental blood flow, pregnant women who smoke should be supported with evidence-based strategies (including counselling) to stop smoking completely, rather than switch to e-cigarettes.
I hope you have found this helpful, and do let me know if you have any questions!
If you are hungry for more evidence-based information for your fertility or pregnancy journey, visit www.myhealthypregnancyplan.comfor free webinars and complete programs.
And if you are a care-provider looking for evidence-based resources for your fertility or pregnancy patients, please get in touch with us at support@myhealthypregnancyplan.com, or visit www.myhealthypregnancyplan.com/ce-courses-for-naturopathic-doctors.
In health,
Dr Jocelyn Land-Murphy, ND
Terra Life
Disclaimer: The information and content provided is for general educational and informational purposes only and is not professional medical advice, nor is it intended to be a substitute therefore. Please consult the Disclaimer and Terms of Use for full details.
References:
Regan, A. et al. (2021). Patterns of combustible and electronic cigarette use during pregnancy and associated pregnancy outcomes. Scientific Reports, 11.