The toxins in cigarettes such as nicotine and carbon monoxide were found to cause a shortage of oxygen to the baby effecting infant growth and development. Furthermore, additional effects of smoking and secondhand smoking include neurodevelopmental defects (autism spectrum disorders, learning problems), respiratory disorders after birth, and heart disease as an adult. According to a paper published by Florida State University Center for Prevention and Early Intervention Policy “infant deaths would be an estimated 12.52% lower and low weight births would be 7.44% lower, if all women received prenatal care and did not smoke during pregnancy (Daniel Thompson 2002).
