Are e-cigarettes safe to use during
pregnancy?
We know that:
- No amount of nicotine has been proven safe in
pregnancy.
- No studies have been done on the safety of e-cigarettes in
pregnant women or on whether they help pregnant women stop smoking.
- Use of other nicotine-containing products during
pregnancy, such as smokeless tobacco, is associated with lower birth weight,
increased stillbirth rates,
and premature birth.
Liquid nicotine poisoning
Liquid nicotine for e-cigarettes is
sold in small tubes that may be bright and colorful. They may have flavors,
like cherry or bubble gum. All of these things may make them seem fun and
appealing, especially to children. Liquid nicotine has powerful toxins and a
small amount may be very harmful, even deadly. It can cause nausea (feeling
sick to your stomach), vomiting, and eye irritation.
There have been many reports of
people, especially children, being poisoned from coming into contact with
liquid nicotine, either by accidentally drinking it or by spilling it and
absorbing it through the skin. According to the CDC,
e-cigarette exposure calls to poison centers increased from one per month in
September 2010 to 215 per month in February 2014, and over half of those calls
were regarding children ages 5 and under.
Regulation and research
E-cigarettes are not currently regulated
by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), although this may change soon.
More research is needed to better
understand the effects of e-cigarettes on women during pregnancy and their
children. If you’re pregnant and using e-cigarettes or thinking about using
e-cigarettes, talk to your provider.
Have questions? Email us at AskUs@marchofdimes.org.
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