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Thursday, April 25, 2024 71° Today's Paper


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Curb vices before trying to conceive

You may have been shocked to hear that supermodel Kate Moss admitted to smoking while pregnant. Belinda Carlisle of the Go-Go’s “drank daily” while pregnant.

But even more shocking is the news that 8% of pregnant women in the U.S. smoke cigarettes and almost 4% smoke e-cigs, according to a survey published in JAMA Pediatrics. So, during the 6 million pregnancies in the U.S. annually, 320,000 women are smoking cigarettes and 144,000 are vaping. Smoking increases the risk of preterm birth, birth defects and infant death. Vaping is toxic because of the heavy metals in some liquids, not to mention nicotine.

There’s more: 12% of pregnant women admit to drinking and 4% admit to binge drinking within the past month, according to info published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. A new international study finds that ANY prenatal exposure to alcohol is definitively connected to impaired cognitive abilities and related problems in teens.

Your best bet? Stop drinking and smoking before becoming pregnant. But, it’s never too late to do the right thing.


Mehmet Oz, M.D., is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D., is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. Email questions to youdocsdaily@sharecare.com.


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