WEBVTT

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You may think you've heard it all before, because every smoking commercial

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says the same thing over and over. The
message is always the same.

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Cigarettes are bad, you can get
cancer, and you could die of other health

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problems. You know cigarettes are
awful for your health, but quitting may

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feel impossible. Now that you have a
premature baby, this could be the

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best reason for you to kick the habit.
You may not think about what

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happens to your child when they
breathe in your smoke, but you're slowly

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taking away their chances of growing
up healthy. Smoking around infants,

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especially NICU infants or premature
infants, has serious consequences.

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Your baby could die from the same
smoke coming from your mouth. In

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cigarette smoke alone, there are over
7000 different chemicals that can

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hurt your baby. When you smoke, so
does your baby. Harmful chemicals such

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as nicotine, lead arsenic, and carbon
monoxide travel through your blood

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and also your baby's blood. Your baby
is indirectly smoking because you

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needed to have that cigarette.
Chemicals eventually reach important organs

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such as the lungs and the brain that
can harm a newborn's breathing and

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heart function. Preterm babies are at
more risk because they are smaller

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and have weaker immune systems with
lower resistance to bacteria and

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viruses. Your baby's lungs will not be
fully grown until 7 or 8 years of

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age. Exposure to tobacco smoke can
limit the growth of the lung. The

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breathing passages will also not
develop normally, putting your child at

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risk of breathing problems such as
asthma and pneumonia. Babies exposed to

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smoke also have more ear infections,
colds, and cough. These changes can

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last a lifetime.

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Sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS,
happens more frequently in children

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exposed to smoke. Recent studies have
shown that thirdhand smoke is a new

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kind of smoke exposure that parents
need to be aware of. This kind happens

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when the toxins and smoke get trapped
in your hair and clothes, when you

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hold your infant. Breathe in the same
chemicals and damage their bodies.

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Thirdhand smoke also stays in services
such as carpets, curtains, and

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furniture. When babies crawl on carpet
that has been exposed to smoke,

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they breathe in more of these
chemicals. The high toxic levels are

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extremely harmful to a baby's
developing brain and body. Also, babies and

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young children are more likely to put
things in their mouth, especially

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when teething, which can also increase
the amount of toxins in their

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bodies. As your child grows, smoke
exposure can have long lasting effects

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on their growth and development.
Children exposed to smoke can have lower

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test scores, delays, and milestones
like walking, talking, and potty

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training, as well as decreased brain
function. Each year, over 1000 babies

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will die in the United States from
exposure to smoke from tobacco products.

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It's not too late for your baby. As a
parent, you want to provide the

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best possible environment for your
baby to thrive in. A smoke-free start

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gives your child the best chance to
grow into a healthy life. The problems

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discussed in the video related to
smoke exposure can be stopped, and it's

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all up to you. All it takes is a
promise to try and quit. The cost of your

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baby living in a smoke-free
environment is priceless. Is the risk of your

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child developing asthma, ear
infections, sudden infant death syndrome,

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heart problems, less brain
development, lower test scores, decreased

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growth and development, lung
infections, more cough and colds really worth

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the extra cigarette. There's support
available that can help you quit. We

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are here to help you. The road will
not be easy, but there are resources

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at Altman for you and your new baby.
Smoking cessation support groups

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through Altman and monthly meetings
with other NICU families can help you

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deal with the stress of quitting.
Please ask us and we will be able to

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help you begin the process. If you
won't put down a cigarette to save your

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own life, then help to save the life
of your baby.