Annie's Mailbox

[bruiser]

I'm sure a lot of you remember Ann Landers column. When she died, some years ago, the column was taken over by a couple of her employees, and the name changed to "Annie's Mailbox". Today there was a letter about e-cigs. Below is the letter, and answer.

Dear Annie: My pregnant granddaughter smokes. She has switched to electronic cigarettes, telling her husband that these are completely safe and will not affect the baby in any way. She also claims there is no danger of secondhand smoke.
I say if you are sucking into your lungs any vapor with nicotine, it will affect the unborn child. And when you exhale, there has to be some nicotine when it comes out. My husband and I don't smoke at all. So please tell me: Should my granddaughter smoke her electronic cigarettes inside the house or out? — Kansas
Dear Kansas: Electronic cigarettes are cigarette-shaped, battery-operated vaporizers that deliver nicotine through flavored liquids. They have not yet undergone any rigorous study, so the effects regarding secondhand smoke are still unknown. They are not regulated, and there are no industry standards, which means you can't be sure what you are inhaling, but it generally includes nicotine and propylene glycol. Please urge your daughter to treat electronic cigarettes as she would any other type when it comes to smoking while pregnant. She is still risking the health of her child.

 

[tommy2bad]

Yeh best go outside and smoke a real tobacco cig, at least you know whats killing you that way.
Wouldn't want to die from some unknown possible side effect.

 

[Petrodus]

Yeh best go outside and smoke a real tobacco cig, at least you know whats
killing you that way. Wouldn't want to die from some unknown possible side effect.

Don't ya just wish all idiots had a little shinny handle suspended above their heads...
Anyone encountering an idiot could just reach up and pull down...to flush them

 

[cags]

it's amazing the kids of my generation and before (born in the 50's) are alive and well. everybody smoked back then, (even when pregnant) and if you didn't smoke you were around someone who did. and they smoked in closed up cars, houses, everywhere. yet I had a very healthy childhood and adulthood !

we also left thanksgiving dinner out all day in Texas with no AC in the house. and nobody got sick from that either!

 

[Vocalek]

This issue has come up when discussing whether to use NRTs when pregnant. There's actually little to no data on use of NRT when pregnant. When discussing the safety of long-term use of NRTs, Dr. Neal Benowitz turned to the decades of research performed on Swedish smokers who switched to snus. It must be kept in mind that snus delivers more nicotine than smoking. Moist Snuff 12.6 (4.7 – 24.3) Cigarette Tobacco - (9.5 – 13.4).

In a study of 789 snuff users; 11,240 smokers; 11,995 non-users, the odds ratio of snuff users having a pre-term delivery was 1.90, and of experiencing preeclampsia was 1.58, compared with 1.57 and 0.63 for smokers. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/NewsEvents/UCM232147.pdf

On the other hand, women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have:

An ectopic pregnancy
Vaginal bleeding
Placental abruption (placenta peels away, partially or almost completely, from the uterine wall before delivery)
Placenta previa (a low-lying placenta that covers part or all of the opening of the uterus)
A stillbirth
U.S. Preterm Birth Rate Down Slightly: MedlinePlus

The use of NRT during pregnancy remains controversial, and they keep telling pregnant women that quitting is the best option. But what of those who can't quit? Should a pregnant woman stick with smoking because the risks for pre-term birth and preeclampsia are lower? Or should she go with NRT because there is less risk of stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy, and placental problems?

Personally, I would feel more afraid of stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy, and placental problems. Perhaps if I were prone to high blood pressure, I would be more inclined to go for lower risks of preeclampsia, but back when I was having children, my regular BP was 102/60. And to me, stillbirth seems much worse than pre-term birth.

 

[ByStander1]

My lit for smokers reads:

"If you are pregnant, nicotine is a bad idea. Period. But, still, the most dangerous, for you and your baby, is nicotine from burning tobacco. If you’re unable/unwilling to give up nicotine during pregnancy, please choose another source."

 

[Ande]

My lit for smokers reads:

"If you are pregnant, nicotine is a bad idea. Period. But, still, the most dangerous, for you and your baby, is nicotine from burning tobacco. If you’re unable/unwilling to give up nicotine during pregnancy, please choose another source."

Well said- this is sort of the essence of harm reduction.

I'm glad my wife didn't use nicotine, in any form, during pregnancy. IF however, she had been unwilling or unable to quit, I'd probably suggest that she go with the lowest risk products available. For her and the baby.

Best,
Ande