Vaping vs. Smoking During Pregnancy: What This New Study Reveals About Risks

A new UK study has taken a close look at how switching from smoking to other nicotine replacement products impacts the levels of harmful chemicals in the bodies of pregnant women.

Smoking during pregnancy is known to increase risks for babies, like low birth weight, premature birth, and long-term health problems. But more people are turning to e-cigarettes (vapes) to replace smoking—even during pregnancy. That’s why researchers wanted to understand what vaping really means for pregnant women and babies.

What the Researchers Did

The study looked at 140 pregnant women and grouped them by how they used nicotine:

• Smokers only
• Vapers only (former smokers)
• Dual users (smoking and vaping)
• Smokers using nicotine patches or gum
• Never-users (who had never smoked or vaped)

They tested urine samples for nicotine and harmful chemicals often found in cigarette smoke, like:

• VOCs (chemicals that can damage organs and increase cancer risk)
• Heavy metals (like lead and cadmium)
• NNAL, a tobacco-specific toxin

What They Found

• Nicotine levels were similar in smokers, vapers, and dual users.
• But vapers had much lower levels of harmful chemicals than smokers or people who used both cigarettes and vapes.
• The results showed that vapers had similar levels of many toxic chemicals as people who had never smoked or vaped.

For women who are pregnant and still smoking, this research suggests that fully switching to vaping could reduce exposure to some harmful chemicals. However, for those who used both products (dual users), levels of toxic chemicals remained high.