Since time immemorial, our minds have been well hammered with hazards of drinking and smoking. Yet repeating the obvious is not out of the place and is worth the effort if it can stop or prevent even one falling prey to it.

One example has been a renowned belly (name excluded) who had once occupied cover pages of leading fashion magazines and is now a case of mental retardation from alcohol addiction. Gender is no exception. Smoking and drinking among Indian women is undoubtedly on the rise. In their new compelling spirit, they are shedding inhibitions to prove their mettle and in the process, seeking shelter in alcohol and smoking in a hope of unwinding and relieving stress.

In the bargain, they obviously invite problems of infertility, starting with problems of conception, increased risk of spontaneous abortion and impaired fetal growth. Alcohol consumption is being associated with fetal abnormalities such as 'fetal Alcohol Syndrome' which is characterized by growth deficiency, mental retardation, behavioral disturbances and a typical heart-shaped facial appearance.

Additionally, congenital heart defects and brain anomalies are often found. This syndrome may be found in 30 to 40 % of babies born to alcoholic women. Alcohol ingestion can paralyze one's mental strength. No safe level of maternal drinking has been established.

Alcohol abuse and alcoholism are also probably associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian dysfunction resulting in amenorrhea (absence of menses), anovulation (lack of ovulation), luteal phase defects (abnormal development of endometrial lining) and hyperprolactinemia - all of which may be responsible for infertility.

Drinking alcohol increases the risk of miscarriage, pre-term or stillbirth and other serious effects. The sane advice is "One must eliminate alcohol from diet at least 3 months prior to conception in order to yield the best possible chance of conceiving". Alcohol becomes increasingly toxic - the more you drink and the more frequently you drink.

Smoking also triggers infertility on a larger scale as it harms the ovaries. It reduces the chance of successful pregnancy by nearly 50% and it can even bring an early menopause. Passive smoking also adds to the risk.

Nicotine in cigarettes and bidis concentrates in cervical secretions and its metabolites have been found in follicular fluid which can hamper egg maturation process and ovulation rates. It can also lower quantity and quality of eggs and oocytes. Eggs exposed to nicotine have a greater rate of chromosomal abnormalities.

Pregnant smokers are more likely to have low birth weight babies, premature labour and premature delivery. Smokers inhale nicotine and carbon monoxide, which reach the baby through placenta. This affects baby's nutrition and oxygenation needed for its growth and predisposes it to premature placental separation. Even breast milk contains nicotine which baby suckles. Only stopping smoking prior to conception can effectively protect baby from smoking effects.

Women smokers appear to be at the risk of ectopic (tubal) pregnancy besides other hazards like hypertensive vascular disorders, metabolic disorders like diabetes, and thyroid dysfunction. The best final fact is to quit smoking. Any alternative is a questionable compromise.