Indonesia is one of Asia's countries with the highest smoking rates. Male smokers account for 76.20%, while female smokers make up 3.60%. Although the proportion of female smokers is lower than that of male smokers, smoking poses serious health risks, particularly while pregnant, one of which is stunting.
Stunting is a condition in which a child's weight and height do not reach their full potential. How is smoking associated with stunting?
Smoking can cause stunting
Smoking during pregnancy can stunt fetal growth and contribute to babies being born underweight. Low birth weight (LBW) refers to a baby's birth weight of less than 2,500 grams. Low birth weight can indicate that the baby did not receive adequate nutrition during pregnancy.
Smoking during pregnancy disrupts the fetus's supply of oxygen and nutrients from the mother via the placenta. Furthermore, nicotine and other harmful chemicals in cigarettes can constrict the blood vessels of the placenta, reducing blood flow and disrupting fetal growth. As a result, the baby may not receive enough nutrients and oxygen to develop normally in the womb.
Numerous studies have found that smoking during pregnancy raises the risk of low-birth-weight babies. Babies born with LBW have higher health risks, including the risk of childhood stunting.
Read more: Is It True Thatt Not Drinking Milk Causes Stunting?
What about pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke?
Although active smoking during pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of stunting, secondhand smoke can also contribute to the risk. This means that pregnant women who do not smoke but are frequently exposed to secondhand smoke from people around them or their surroundings are also at high risk of smoking's negative effects, such as stunting.
Secondhand smoke exposure during pregnancy can also affect fetal growth and cause a variety of health issues in the unborn child, including low birth weight. As mentioned earlier, babies with low birth weight are at higher risk of stunting in childhood.
Read more: The Dangers Of Spacing Pregnancies Too Closely And The Risk Of Stunting
Secondhand smoke can also disrupt a child's respiratory system, nutrient absorption, and organ function, all of which can impair their growth and development. As a result, pregnant women and parents must avoid secondhand smoke during pregnancy and childhood in order to reduce their children's risk of stunting and other health issues.
If you or a family member want to quit smoking but are having difficulty doing so, speak with your doctor or a smoking cessation counselor. They can assist you in developing a successful quit strategy, provide emotional support, and educate you on the effects of smoking on pregnancy and babies.
If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.
Looking for more information about other diseases? Click here!
- Sean Edbert Lim, MBBS
WHO. Child malnutrition: Stunting among children under 5 years of age. Available from: https://www.who.int/data/gho/indicator-metadata-registry/imr-details/72
MaryAnn De Pietro, CRT (2023). Does smoking affect a child's growth?. Available from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/does-smoking-stunt-your-growth
Nurmiati Muchlis et al. (2023). Cigarette Smoke Exposure and Stunting Among Under-five Children in Rural and Poor Families in Indonesia. Available from: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/11786302231185210
Better Health Channel. Pregnancy and smoking. Available from: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/pregnancy-and-smoking
World Population Review. Smoking Rates by Country 2024. Available from: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/smoking-rates-by-country
Harsh Vats et al. (2024). Association of Low Birth Weight with the Risk of Childhood Stunting in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Available from: https://karger.com/neo/article-abstract/doi/10.1159/000532006/894111/Association-of-Low-Birth-Weight-with-the-Risk-of?redirectedFrom=fulltext
Stanford Medicine. Low Birth Weight. Available from: https://www.stanfordchildrens.org//en/topic/default?id=low-birth-weight-90-P02382
Cleveland Clinic (2024). Secondhand Smoke. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/10644-secondhand-smoke-dangers
