Can smoking cause cerebral palsy?

Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking: Protect Yourself and Your Baby from Cerebral Palsy

After your baby is born, your protective instincts are powerful. As the new "mama bear," you would challenge anyone who threatened to harm your precious new bundle of joy.

But did you know that protecting your baby's health starts before conception?
If you smoke, drink alcohol, or use any illicit drug, you are putting your child at risk for potentially permanent and devastating health problems.
But you-like millions of women around the world-wonder, "Will an occasional glass of wine hurt my baby?"

Studies are not conclusive as to whether or not it is safe to consume alcohol in any amount. It is therefore recommended that you abstain from consuming alcohol until after your baby is born. This ensures your baby is not forced to fight the ill affects of alcohol while she is developing and growing in the womb.
Maternal consumption of drugs and/or alcohol poisons your baby and seriously affects her nervous system, blood vessels, and internal organs. These impacts significantly increase your baby's chances of having a low birth weight and brain damage.

Brain damage caused by alcohol, smoking, and/or drug use can lead to the development of cerebral palsy.

If you are already pregnant, it's not too late to stop exposing yourself and your baby to these potential hazards. The sooner you stop, the better for you and your baby. And if you plan to get pregnant, now is the time to start protecting your unborn child.

For any particular child, it's often impossible to pinpoint the cause of the problem. Doctors do know, however, that anything that interferes with a growing brain can trigger the condition. The risk of cerebral palsy increases dramatically if a pregnant woman smokes, drinks heavily, has diabetes, or catches German measles (also known as rubella). Some children with cerebral palsy didn't get enough oxygen in the womb, perhaps because of a small kink in the umbilical cord. Premature babies, who tend to suffer complications before and after birth, are much more likely than full-term babies to develop cerebral palsy; twins or triplets are also at greater risk for the condition. In some cases, cerebral palsy is caused by a head injury or a brain infection such as meningitis during the child's first two years of life.


The best way to prevent cerebral palsy is to protect your child's growing brain. If you are planning to get pregnant and have never had German measles, talk to your doctor about getting vaccinated against the disease. If you are already pregnant, try to stay as healthy as possible. Get regular prenatal medical care, eat a nutritious diet, avoid smoking and alcohol, and always talk to your doctor before taking over-the-counter or prescription medicines or herbal supplements. If you learn that you have maternal diabetes, which occurs during some pregnancies, get treated for it right away and be vigilant in caring for yourself.