Smoking before pregnancy: Placenta memorizes tobacco

It is well-known that giving up smoking before pregnancy considerably reduces the health risks for both mother and child.

A team of French researchers took a closer look at the subject showing for the first time that tobacco consumption, even when stopped before pregnancy, can have an impact on the placenta. 

When to quit smoking before pregnancy?

The study has shown that women who want to have children should stop smoking at least 3 months before conception to prevent any harm to her unborn baby.

This is the deadline necessary for the cells that will build the placenta to get rid of the toxins in tobacco.

Smoking before pregnancy risks

• Reduced fertility: Smoking can double the risk of infertility in women
• Lower IVF success: Smoking is associated with lower success rates during fertility treatments such as IVF
• Sperm damage: In men, smoking can damage sperm DNA, and reduce fertility, too.

Learn more about holistic lifestyle approaches to fertility.

Reference: Rousseaux, S., Seyve, E., Chuffart, F. et al. Immediate and durable effects of maternal tobacco consumption alter placental DNA methylation in enhancer and imprinted gene-containing regions. BMC Med 18, 306 (2020)