Smoking in pregnancy--the size of our challenge.
Reducing the prevalence of smoking in pregnancy is a priority target for health care. We administered a semi-structured questionnaire to mothers in an inner city general practice who were given brief anti-smoking advice during routine antenatal care. Of a cohort of 113 mothers, 52(46%) reported smoking at the start of pregnancy. Six(12%) of these 52 smokers reported no change in smoking habit during pregnancy; 24(46%) cut down; 12(23%) stopped; 10(19%) increased their cigarette consumption. Of the 52 smokers, 41(79%) believed smoking was harmful to an unborn baby, yet 30(73%) of these women continued smoking. Almost all recalled having been given anti-smoking advice by the GP and/or hospital. There is an urgent need to identify more effective methods of reducing smoking in pregnancy.
Ulster Hospital Trust, Dundonald, Belfast.
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Gawley
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009660:Northern Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011295:Prenatal Care; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D000074606:Smoking Prevention