Is vaping safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about vaping during pregnancy?

1. Vape liquid doesn't carry consistent, reliable nicotine labeling, so you often can't know exactly how much you're inhaling with each puff, and using e-cigarettes during pregnancy isn't recommended. 1
2. Nicotine crosses the placenta and can lower the oxygen and nutrients reaching your baby, the same basic mechanism whether it comes from a cigarette or an e-cigarette. 2
3. Nicotine is the ingredient that makes vaping addictive and worth worrying about, not the flavoring or the vapor cloud itself. 3
4. Animal research shows vape liquid can be toxic to developing brain cells in ways similar to regular cigarette smoke, and reviewers say there still isn't enough safety data to call vaping the safer choice. 4
5. In one study tracking real pregnancies, babies of people who vaped throughout measured smaller on ultrasound, and that size gap grew larger the further along the pregnancy went. 5

Is vaping safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. Nicotine crosses the placenta from the earliest weeks, right when your baby's organs and brain are forming. If you vape, now is the best time to quit completely rather than switch products, and your provider can point you to a cessation program built for pregnancy.
• Second trimester. Research following pregnancies has picked up smaller-than-average measurements on ultrasound in babies of people who vape, and the earlier you stop, the more time your baby has to catch up. Ask your provider whether a nicotine replacement option makes sense for you.
• Third trimester. The growth gap linked to vaping tends to be largest by the third trimester, so quitting now still matters. Let your care team know if you're still vaping close to your due date so they can keep an eye on your baby's growth.