There are still precautions certain people should take whilst vaping.
Although vaping is considered a far safer alternative than smoking, there are still worries that come with it. With any device in which you inhale flavoured air, whether with nicotine involved or not, there will always be certain safety measures which you should keep in mind. The involvement of nicotine in vape juice has led to vape devices being reserved only for those over the age of 18. This means that there are age restrictions, undoubtedly stemming from the contents and nature of what vaping is. This therefore means that, like with smoking, it is a health risk to your unborn baby to vape whilst pregnant. It should be kept in mind that there are far less risks involved with vaping than there are with smoking, vaping being a far healthier alternative to the carcinogen ridden habit.
So what’s the problem?
Recent studies have shown that vape juices with both nicotine and nicotine-less E Liquid has shown evidence of Asthma in unborn children. This means that pregnant mothers should think twice about vaping whilst pregnant. This should be taken as a given, nicotine is an addictive substance and physically addictive substances should not be ingested by someone who doesn’t vape already, if they are pregnant.
The research
Carried out by the Airways Disease Group at the University of Technology in Sydney. The group carried out their research on mice, exposing female mice to either normal air or e-cigarette vape before becoming pregnant. They were then continually exposed during their pregnancy and after. They would continue to be exposed to e-cigarette vapour when feeding and looking after their young. The mother’s children were then exposed to the allergen ovalbumin, a protein known to induce asthma. This protein, also known to be found in eggs has long since been known to trigger asthma, thus being used as a trigger for the disease which would then either be or not be further aggravated by the inhalation of vape. The results showed that mice exposed to vaping whilst pregnant would lead to an increased risk and severity of asthma in the unborn child. Part of the reason for this is in the effect vaping has on the mitochondria cells within the respiratory system. These would be given limited function during vaping which then triggers a slowed respiration rate in cells. This affect it seems, was created by the vapour itself as opposed to nicotine being present.
Asthma and it’s lifelong effects
Is the data reliable?
However, there are those who are critical of the study. Linda Bauld, Professor of Health Policy at the University of Stirling believes that there is no link between the biology of a mouse and human, making the mouse study irrelevant. She instead claims that vaping would be a big help for those who are pregnant and are struggling to give up smoking. It is the carcinogens released whilst smoking cigarettes which can cause harm to an unborn child, an effect far more negative than the effects of vapour on a pregnant woman. Of course, if a pregnant woman does not vape already, there is no reason at all why they should start.
Asthma and it’s lifelong effects
Asthma is a condition which can last a person’s entire life, consisting of inflammation of the lungs and airways. This can be intensified through rigorous exercise, at night time and especially if smoking. The symptoms which include coughing and chest tightness are made worse by smoking, hence why this study could be deemed as counter-productive in terms of alleviating lung disease symptoms.