Can maternal use of alcohol and cigarettes lead to stillbirth?

• Prenatal smoking is a known modifiable risk factor for stillbirth. Maternal prenatal alcohol consumption is known to cause abortion, small birth weight, congenital heart defects, and stillbirth. 

• ︎Concomitant use of cigarettes and alcohol during pregnancy increases the risk of late stillbirth up to 3 times than the use of either substance alone.

• ︎The use of alcohol and cigarettes during pregnancy has additional effects on several micronutrients, hence nutritional deficiency could also underlie their combined effect on the unborn child.

• Can we prevent this impact on future pregnancies?

• ︎Yes, since these substance uses are among the modifiable risk factors for stillbirth, cutting down or avoiding the use of cigarettes and alcohol prior to pregnancy or at least during the first trimester of pregnancy will help reduce the grave outcomes. 

Source: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2783302

📷 pexels.com