What does smoking do to an unborn fetus?

Increased risk of severe systemic conditions and congenital diseases. Although in all three trimesters you want to have great care, the 1st trimester essentially determines the health of the child. If your friend has been smoking for the first nine weeks while she was pregnant, then tell your girlfriend to be psychological prepared to bare a suffering child with the potential of severe unfortunate conditions or even death. Perhaps the word ‘potential’ shouldn’t be there, because unless its a miracle, then MOST LIKELY the unborn baby is already suffering and unlikely to survive. Give your girlfriend a pat on the back for being a responsible mother to be. If she drinks alcohol, then that’s another realm of destruction.

I found this for you:

High Risk of Miscarriage

The American Lung Association states that women who smoke while pregnant have a greater risk of having a miscarriage than women who quit. Smoking literally could kill an unborn child. There is also a higher risk of stillbirth among women who smoke throughout pregnancy.

Low Birth Weight

Babies born to mothers who smoke are at a higher risk of being born weighing little enough to be considered low birth weight babies. The chemicals in cigarette smoke are able to cross the placenta into the baby’s blood stream, stunting growth and making it difficult for the fetus to get the nutrition it needs to grow and develop properly.

Babies born not weighing as much as they should often have more health problems than average size babies.

Premature Labor and Delivery

Women who smoke throughout pregnancy are at a higher risk of having their babies too early. Premature labor and delivery can be very harmful to a baby. The earlier a baby is born the less likely it is that the baby’s lung will be developed enough for the infant to be able to breathe on its own without assistance.

Depending on the baby’s overall health and lung maturity some babies will be saved after spending a great deal of time in the hospital with much medical intervention. Other babies will fall victim to the many complications of being born too early and will die.

Problems with Placenta

Discovery Health tells of the risk of placental problems in women who smoke during pregnancy. Placenta previa (placenta is too low in the uterus) and placenta abruptia (placenta separates from the uterus before a baby is born) are conditions that seem to occur more often in women who smoke while pregnant. Both are dangerous to mother and baby and could result in the death of one or both.

Increased Risk of Birth Defects

Babies born to mothers who smoke in pregnancy are at higher risk of developing a cleft palate or cleft lip. Babies are also at a higher risk of developing cerebral palsy, mental retardation and/or learning disabilities.

Although the nicotine addiction is powerful and cravings may be intense, it is very important that expectant mothers quit smoking as soon as they find out they are pregnant. They should seek support and advice from others but should not continue the dangerous habit. The risk to their child is too high not to quit and the results of choosing to smoke throughout pregnancy are potentially devastating.

Tell your girlfriend to start being a mother and to stop smoking. She’s killing her child.

Source http://prenatal-health.suite101.com/article.cfm/dangers_of_smoking_during_pregnancy

However, if you quit smoking in early pregnancy then your baby will end up having just as many risks as a non-smoker. I was a smoker in early pregnancy so I had this problem as well.