Maternal smoking is the number one modifiable risk factor in the prevention of low birth weight. (www.beststart.org) Is pregnant women and smoking a harmful disease to new born babies? Yes, but no, many women that do smoke have many problems with their babies. But there is a positive for some women that smoke, some women cannot handle a baby over a certain weight, and smoking can keep a babies birth weight down. Pregnant women and smoking can go both ways, it just depends on the reason why.
             Many women and even men do not understand that even second hand smoke is harmful to unborn babies. Second hand smoke is proven to be directly associated with low birth weight, premature births, miscarriages, and other complications. (www.beststart.org) New born infants born to mothers who smoke are at a high risk for serious complications related to premature birth and a low birth weight. Because of this pregnant mothers are advised during their pregnancy to refrain from smoking.
             While it is common knowledge that smoking during pregnancy is not healthy, it is also a common belief that there is an exception to every rule. Recently a family friend, named Lisa was expecting the birth of her fifth child. Lisa, a long time smoker was built with a small frame. She was five foot two one hundred pounds with absolutely no hips. Contrary to the popular "no smoking during pregnancy rule", during each of her five pregnancies Lisa was advised to continue smoking. Four different doctors informed her that her body was too petite to handle the birth of a baby weighing more than seven pounds. In fact even with the possibility of a C – section her body would undergo more stress from having a big baby than it would if she continued smoking during her pregnancy.
             There have been many studies that have linked smoking to very dangerous health risks. As a result of these studies a patient is never advis
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