The effects of tobacco on fertility: what you need to know

Smoking among pregnant women is particularly worrying in France, where one in four pregnant women continue to smoke. This practice not only threatens the health of the mother, but also that of the unborn child and newborn. Stopping smoking before conceiving is therefore an essential step to preserve health and optimize the chances of fertility. What is the impact of tobacco on fertility and the early stages of pregnancy?

Impact of tobacco on fertility

Tobacco has a devastating effect on fertility, both in men and women. In men, smoking is associated with abnormalities in sperm that reduce their motility and ability to fertilize an egg effectively. Sperm DNA can also be damaged, increasing the risk of complications such as poor embryo implantation and miscarriagesmiscarriages early. In women, the harmful effects of tobacco on fertility appear in proportion to the number of cigarettes smoked. There nicotinenicotine and other chemical components of tobacco disrupt hormonal balance and alter the cervical mucuscervical mucuswhich can interfere with the sperm’s ability to navigate to the egg. Additionally, smoking has been linked to increasing age of menopausemenopause in women, thus reducing the windowwindow of fertility. Fortunately, these effects are reversiblereversible : Quitting smoking can restore fertility in the weeks that follow, thus strengthening the prospects of natural conception.

Effects of smoking in early pregnancy

Early pregnancy is a critical period for implantation and embryonic development, and smoking can seriously disrupt this process. A particularly serious consequence is the increased risk of ectopic pregnanciesectopic pregnancieswhere theembryoembryo fails to reach theuterusuterus and rather establishes itself in the fallopian tubesfallopian tubes or elsewhere in theabdomenabdomen. This condition, which can be fatal, often requires emergency surgery. About a third of these dangerous cases are directly attributed to the effects of toxinstoxins tobacco, which inhibit the movementsmovements normal tubes necessary to guide the embryo towards the uterus. Quitting smoking before conception is therefore imperative to minimize this risk. The good news is that the risks associated with these serious complications decrease quickly once you quit smoking, with the chances of pregnancy in the uterus normalizing in just one month.