Question

A pregnant woman who is a chain smoker has just been diagnosed with lung cancer. Her biggest concern is if she has passed on the lung cancer to her child. Which of the following statements is correct regarding this situation?

A. Children do not use their lungs until they are born, so the cancer cannot pass to the child before birth
B. The cancer could pass from mother to fetus through blood, but anticancer medication can prevent the child from developing cancer
C. If the pregnant mother undergoes treatment for lung cancer, both she and the child can be cured
D. The cancer will not be transmitted to the child.

Answer 1

Cancer itself cannot be transmitted from the pregnant woman to her child. However, smoking during pregnancy is harmful and associated with multiple risks including premature birth, low birth weight, and increased SIDS risk.

Step-by-step explanation:

The concern about whether a chain-smoking pregnant woman diagnosed with lung cancer has passed the cancer to her child has a clear answer. According to current medical understanding, cancer is not a transmissible disease that can be spread from mother to fetus during pregnancy like an infectious disease. The correct statement in this situation is D. The cancer will not be transmitted to the child.

However, it is important for the mother to be aware that smoking during pregnancy can have other serious health implications for the unborn baby, such as premature birth, low birth weight, stillbirth, and an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), as well as other long-term effects.