Question

Please I need the answer to this question asap...
"CO is found in cigarette smoke and when inhaled enters the blood and combines with hemoglobin. Suggest how this information may be used to discourage pregnant mothers from smoking during pregnancy." [O Level Nov 2008 5094/2]

Answer 1

Babies can be born prematurely, babies can be born born too small, babies can die before they can be born at all. When you smoke during pregnancy, harmful toxins can also get into your bloodstream, your baby's only source of oxygen and nutrients. The nicotine in the cigarette can narrow the size of your blood vessels including the ones in the umbilical cord.

Answer 2

Going into the Biochemistry of CO [Carbon monoxide], the heme group within the red blood cell has a high affinity for oxygen. There are total of 4 heme groups in a single red blood cell. As more oxygen binds to the heme, the affinity increase sigmoidally due to the cooperative behavior. However, CO has a higher affinity than oxygen by 250 times! During pregnancy, the fetus has a stronger bind hemoglobin than the mother, which is how the oxygen is supplied to the baby. If the mother is smoking, her hemoglobin doesnt have enough oxygen to deliver to the fetus, and can cause .....unwanted effects on the child or even death.