Geographical variations in the rates of smoking in pregnant women must be tackled according to a report by the Smoking in Pregnancy Challenge Group.
The report, Smoking cessation in pregnancy: A review of the challenge, found that 27.2% of pregnant women were still smoking by the time they gave birth, compared with just 2.1% in Westminster. Socioeconomic circumstances were also seen to affect the likelihood of smoking while pregnant, with deprived areas having higher rates. ‘It is not good enough that women in poorer parts of the country are 20 times more likely to smoke through their pregnancy than those in richer areas,’ said Linda Bauld, professor of health policy at the University of Stirling and UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies. ‘If we’re to halve the rate of smoking in pregnancy over the next five years we need action in every community.’
It is estimated in the report that smoking affects as many as 70,000 pregnancies each year in the UK. This is thought to cause up to 2,200 premature births, 5,000 miscarriages and 300 stillbirths every year in the UK. ‘Smoking in pregnancy remains the largest modifiable risk factor in sudden infant deaths, which devastates families,’ said Francine Bates, chief executive of the Lullaby Trust. ‘It is the most vulnerable who will be hit hardest if we do not do more to dramatically reduce the rates of smoking in pregnancy.’
The report suggests that training professionals to tackle smoking during pregnancy should be nationally mandated to improve the situation. It also states referrals of all pregnant women who smoke to specialist services must become standard practice for healthcare professionals. ‘Some women stop smoking in pregnancy because they understand the need to protect the baby from the effects of smoking,’ said Janet Fyle, professional policy advisor at the RCM. ‘Having a baby and caring for a newborn along with other family members is one of the most stressful life events for some women, as some new mothers struggle to adapt to their new roles with little or no social support.’