Description of tobacco addiction in pregnant women.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the characteristics of a group of pregnant women who smoked until delivery with women who gave up smoking during pregnancy.


METHODS
Questionnaire-based, descriptive study of 979 pregnant women in four regions of France. The variables analysed included the characteristics of the mother and neonate at delivery, the smoking habits of the mother before and during pregnancy, the perception of risk linked to smoking, and the reasons for giving up smoking.


RESULTS
Eighteen percent of women smoked until delivery. Fifty-five percent of women gave up smoking during pregnancy, usually in the first trimester. Women who failed to give up smoking were more disadvantaged psychosocially and were more likely to live alone. There was a higher level of dependency among women who failed to give up smoking and a lower perception of risk to the foetus. Among the women who had tried to reduce their tobacco consumption without success, 6% stated that they had been motivated by medical information compared to 28% of women who succeeded in stopping smoking.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite the risks associated with smoking the number of pregnant women who smoke until delivery remains high. Knowledge of the psychosocial profile and degree of dependency of these patients is an important step to managing this problem.
Grangé
Gilles
G
Maternité Port Royal, Groupe Hospitalier Cochin Saint Vincent De Paul, Paris, France; Association Alliés, 20 Bd Malesherbes, 75017 Paris, France. gilles.grange@cch.ap-hop-paris.fr
Vayssiere
Christophe
C
Borgne
Anne
A
Ouazana
Albert
A
L'Huillier
Jean-Pierre
JP
Valensi
Paul
P
Peiffer
Gérard
G
Aubin
Henri-Jean
HJ
Renon
Dominique
D
Thomas
Daniel
D
Lebargy
François
F
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010465:Perception; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*