Pregnant teens smoking to make their babies small because 'scared of giving birth'

[Mayhem]

I disagree. I'm against contriving law into detail just because a few lowest common denominators are doing bad things. Let people be free and don't bog down the law system with too much nonsense. Let them suffer their own consequences.

How exactly are the ones suffering the consequences have a say in this?

[Shalcker]

I hardly doubt that this is the only negative effect babies can receive from the mother smoking. It's just the one bit that made stupid kids think "hey, maybe I can use this to my advantage..."

It obviously delays development in the womb (which is the point), but then there will be 30+ years of development outside of it.

I'd assume risk is about as high as mother dying from childbirth complications of slightly larger baby... pretty low, that is. Tobacco is certainly nothing like thalidomide.

They aren't smoking constantly, after all, and supposedly stop after giving birth.

[Deleted]

They should receive legal punishment for that

I doubt that they mostly do it in public.

[Deleted]

Teenage girls getting pregnant and keeping the child without being married are probably unintelligent. I suspect there is a strong correlation.

Isn't your own state one of the highest teen pregnancies?

[Deleted]

Teenage girls getting pregnant and keeping the child without being married are probably unintelligent. I suspect there is a strong correlation.

not sure if being sarcastic or serious. Hard to tell since the majority of Americans can't do sarcasm correctly.

A bit off topic but I find it difficult to believe that smoking makes babies smaller. I come from a big family, 9 of us including mum and dad. All 7 of us, my mum smoked with. She was told it would stop the growth but smoked any way. When we were born, none of us were below 7 pounds, and majority are girls (only two boys, myself and my brother and were both above 9 pounds). I don't come from a fat family either, we would be healthy (minus the smoking). Are we just the exception maybe? Maybe our growth was prevented and we would have been even bigger?

For more on topic, if it is only size that is affected is it a problem? I am not sure of the other side effects regarding smoking, only those regarding alchol and dangerous drugs.

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...to harm their children before birth? I'm all for letting "dumb people do shit and die", but:

They don't, really. They themselves don't receive much harm from smoking for a relatively short time, even their children will probably live, but will suffer in some longterm way. At the least, they won't be much smarter than their parents.

What long term side effect is there? My mum smoked with me and I am 25 years old. Passed uni and I like to think I have a decent job and a good social life. Besides a weight problem (I do love bakery good), I am healthy and I do not smoke or do drugs.

EDIT: Forgot to add, I am 6 foot 4 inches and feet that are too big for my height (UK size 15 which I think is EU size 50?) with hands and a head to match. Only mentioning because someone would ask if I am short.

[Deleted]

Just you watch. Just like butter, alcohol and coffee, cigarettes too will be found good for us.

They are moderately "good" (although I personally believe these kind of effects are overplayed bs) if you smoke not more that one cig a day. But nobody who smokes does one per day, because of the high addictive potential of nicotine. So there's that.

[Incredibale]

Western women are getting worse and worse. No wonder mail order brides are a thing.

[Deleted]

I've seen an adult who thought smoking would test her unborn child's lungs and make it stronger, like resistance training. Education is underrated.

[Zeek Daniels]

Lol, they are just adding medical bill on top of medical bill.

Smoking costs money, babies cost money, trying to get off smoking costs money, smoking causes lung damage and may give you cancer all of which are gonna cost you money, your baby now has medical problems which cost you more money, your kids gonna watch you while growing up and will either never smoke cuz he/she hates it or will start smoking and cost them money.

Seems like alot of Money gone down the drain just because you thought you were gonna have a big baby.

[Logwyn]

When did our women all start turning into "ITS ALL ABOUT ME" screw everyone else.....

Eh. If you were sacred about child birth maybe they shouldn't have had unprotected sex or done something else.

Why not just add drinking to the list too. Give that little bun in the oven even more issues....

No wonder our kids are growing up to be devil spawn with "parents" like this bringing them into the world.

[zenkai]

When did our women all start turning into "ITS ALL ABOUT ME" screw everyone else.....

Eh. If you were sacred about child birth maybe they shouldn't have had unprotected sex or done something else.

Why not just add drinking to the list too. Give that little bun in the oven even more issues....

No wonder our kids are growing up to be devil spawn with "parents" like this bringing them into the world.

I call it the "Princess" complex and it has been happening the last 40 years.

[Wildtree]

Hard to not facepalm at women.

Teenagers are hardly women. They're still kids.

[Ahovv]

Isn't your own state one of the highest teen pregnancies?

Keep your fallacies away from me. Thanks.

[THE Bigzoman]

Didn't you know, men are far more knowledgeable about the female body. Just ask them how periods work

Or that teenage girls that get pregnant without being married, are supposedly just less intelligent.

I'm pretty sure I could find you some studies that confirm this.

They're not exactly the sharpest tools in the sheds.

[turboether]

Given the support single mums get in Australia some young girls get a child as a financial aid so they don't have to work, a small section get pregnant for very selfish means without thought for the father or children. Parents used to get a stipend for their first child before the government realised it just raised the cases of teen pregnancy. TL;DR people are stupid sometimes.

[Mayhem]

I'm pretty sure I could find you some studies that confirm this.

They're not exactly the sharpest tools in the sheds.

Confirm what?

[Deleted]

Very... inventive?

[THE Bigzoman]

Confirm what?

THe teenage unwed moms being less intelligent.

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Then again, getting married at that age is pretty dumb too.

[Mormolyce]

Sounds like one of those load of crap studies designed to sell a book frankly.

[TheDestinatus]

Is it really surprising?, I mean they have to learn the culture (smoking) from someone so there is a pretty good chance their parents were smokers, it was common when they were born.