New evidence has come to light showing that nicotine exposure may increase an infant’s risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
While there have been numerous studies linking smoking and SIDS, there is little known about nicotine’s effects on infants.
A recent study showed that nicotine causes failure in a baby's autoresuscitation mechanism, 'the ability to recover normal heart rate and breathing following gasping caused by lack of oxygen in the brain.'
This failure is common in SIDS cases, causing the infant to die in their sleep due to lack of oxygen.
While mothers around the world have cut back on smoking cigarettes, many are recommended to use nicotine patches or e-cigs during their pregnancy.
These options have been disproved as effective measures against SIDS, according to the study.
The evidence showed that ‘exposure to nicotine by any route may be harmful to a baby's cardiorespiratory function and increase the risk of SIDS.’ It negatively affects the baby’s nervous system and can result in asphyxia during elevated stress levels.
The study was conducted by the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire and can be found here.
The experiment was conducted on rats. The animals were exposed to nicotine through their mother’s milk and blood, followed by decreased oxygen levels.
Therefore, any nicotine replacements like patches, e-cigarettes, gum, etc. can be harmful to infants during pregnancy.
Not much is known about SIDS, and it is a tragic experience for any family to endure. Now that there is evidence proving nicotine may be a factor, we are one step closer to preventing the syndrome.
