For some pregnant women, e-cigarettes are a solution to fill the void of a cigarette and gradually stop smoking. But is the e-cigarette really risk-free? Can you use a vape without nicotine? Answers with Professor Philippe Deruelle and tobaccologist Alice Denoize.
E-cigarette is sometimes used by pregnant women as a transition, to quit smoking during pregnancy. Because, unlike a cigarette, with a vape, there is no combustion that can cause the production of carbon monoxide in the body, since it involves the inhalation of vapor. Most people tend to think that the vaporizer is less harmful than a pack of cigarettes.
However, according to a new American study, conducted by researchers from the Colorado School of Medicine and published in September 2023 in the journal Developmental Biology, Vaping nicotine while pregnant is as dangerous as smoking cigarettes. According to researchers, nicotine may have an impact on the development of the fetus’ bones and lungs.
However, tobaccologist Alice Denoize qualifies the results of this study. “They exposed small mice to 96 mg of nicotine, which is equivalent to almost 5 packs of cigarettes. In proportion to a human fetus, we would be more like 20 packs of cigarettes per day.“, which does not correspond to reality. Furthermore, “It must be taken into account that this is an American study and vaping in the United States has nothing to do with French and European vaping. The products sold in France are extremely controlled, unlike in the USA,” she adds. So, can you really vape while pregnant? Alice Denoize, a tobacco specialist in Paris, and Professor Philippe Deruelle, who specializes in gynecology and obstetrics at the Montpellier University Hospital, shed some light on the subject.
Can you vape while pregnant?
According to the recommendations of the health authorities, which Professor Philippe Deruelle also shares, The e-cigarette should not be used during pregnancy.. “The ideal is not to take nicotine during pregnancy”comments the specialist. But in reality, for some dependent women, The electronic cigarette can be a solution to help people quit smoking. With nicotine, it helps treat the body’s reaction to withdrawal, which causes stress and irritability in the expectant mother. “We prefer a patient to vape rather than smoke a cigarette”, completes Alice Denoize.
“We prefer a patient to vape rather than smoke a cigarette”
Can you vape with nicotine while pregnant?
“Nicotine is not the real problem with vaping“ up to a certain dose, relate Alice Denoize. “The brain has a self-titration capacity, that is to say that it is used to taking a certain dose of nicotine. In a vape, it will therefore seek to reach this dose to be satisfied. We cannot therefore have an overdose of nicotine, because otherwise the pregnant woman would have symptoms of overdose (nausea, vomiting, headaches, dizziness, palpitations, etc.)”, explains the tobacco specialist.
Also, “We must differentiate them from e-cigarettes sold by the tobacco industry, such as Puff, whose composition is unknown..” It is therefore essential tohave medical monitoring if you vape nicotine while pregnant.
During pregnancy, can you smoke an electronic cigarette without nicotine?
For now, No study validated by the High Authority of Health has confirmed that a nicotine-free e-cigarette can be used during pregnancy. But among specialists, opinions differ. For Professor Deruelle, the problem with electronic cigarettes, with or without nicotine, is that we do not know what products actually make them up. “The air heated by the vaporizer passes through different places where there are certainly chemical compounds and particles of heavy metals,” he says.
Tobacco specialist Alice Denoize has a completely different opinion: “If a pregnant woman wants to use an electronic cigarette without nicotine, she can. But simply inhaling smoke will not do anything for her except perpetuate the action.” She therefore advises to “get help to work on his psychological dependency, which would allow him to free himself from the act.” It also provides a clarification: “liquids in France are very controlled. By choosing those that respect the AFNOR standard and by using your vape correctly, by avoiding the Dry hit, we limit the risks to our health as much as possible.”
What are the dangers of e-cigarettes during pregnancy?
Electronic cigarettes pose certain dangers to pregnant women and the fetus. On the future baby, “Nicotine and its derivatives contained in electronic cigarettes will act on several mechanisms, notably the placenta and the development of the baby’s brain. The two main risks that are assumed are: growth retardation and placental pathologies.. Other elements must of course also be taken into account in the pregnant woman’s environment (work, diet, etc.)”, reports Professor Deruelle. “Nicotine causes short-term pathologies, but also long-term ones over the baby’s 1000 days and its future health.”he adds.
Negative effects on the course of pregnancy can also be observed.. “To my knowledge, we have no evidence that formally demonstrates this. But it is certain that nicotine acts on the placenta, the latter being an organ that is at the interface between the woman and the fetus, so we can see in pregnant women blood pressure changes, sleep disturbances, some fatigue, irritation of the mucous membranes, particularly in the mouth, inflammation of the gums“, explains the obstetrician-gynecologist.
How to stop vaping when pregnant?
To stop vaping, the expectant mother can turn to Nicotine substitutes: nicotine gum, candy or patchesThey have been authorized for pregnant women since 1999, under medical supervision. For Professor Deruelle, these substitutes should be prioritized if the patient is motivated to stop smoking. “It is always better to take patches or gum than to continue smoking, to slow down the consumption of nicotine,” he declares.
Nicotine substitutes do not present any serious risks for pregnant women, because “in these products, the dose of nicotine is controlled and it is not combined with other components”the expert specifies.
Who should I call to stop using electronic cigarettes when pregnant?
If you are pregnant and want to stop using e-cigarettes, you can first talk to your doctor or midwife, or consult a tobacco specialist near you. You can also call 39 89 to benefit from free telephone follow-up with an expert Tabac Info Service.
Thanks to Alice Denoize, tobaccologist and coach in Paris, and Professor Philippe Deruelle, specialist in gynecology-obstetrics at the Montpellier University Hospital.
- Intrauterine exposure to nicotine through maternal vaping disrupts embryonic lung and skeletal development via the Kcnj2 potassium channel : https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001216062300101X?via%3Dihub
- Recommendations regarding the use of vaping products / electronic cigarettes. Sante.gouv.fr (October 2022). : https://sante.gouv.fr/prevention-en-sante/addictions/produits-de-vapotage-cigarette-electronique/article/recommandations-concernant-l-usage-des-produits-de-vapotage-cigarette#:~:text=%E2%80%93%20Les%20produits%20du%20vapotage%20ne%20doivent%20pas%20%C3%AAtre%20utilis%C3%A9s%20durant,de%20factors%20sociaux%2C%20etc.)