Characteristics of tobacco withdrawal in pregnant women.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the management of tobacco withdrawal in pregnant women.


METHODS
The questionnaire-based, descriptive survey included 979 post-partum women. The variables analysed included the characteristics of the mother and neonate at delivery, her smoking habits, her level of exposure to passive smoking, and the barriers to giving up smoking. The chi square test was used to analyse qualitative variables and the Students t-test for quantitative variables.


RESULTS
76% of women who smoked at the start of pregnancy said that they had been asked about their tobacco consumption. However, only 16% had been asked by a clinician or midwife about their attempts to stop smoking. Seven percent were offered a specialised consultation, but only one-third attended. Seventy-six percent of women who failed to stop smoking during pregnancy had a partner who smoked compared with 63% of women who gave up. Dependency and stress during pregnancy also were lower for women who stopped smoking.


CONCLUSIONS
Healthcare professionals seems to offer only rudimentary care. Simple strategies to help women give up smoking are required. The partner is an important target, especially if he can be persuaded to give up at the same time.
Grangé
Gilles
G
Maternité Port Royal, Groupe Hospitalier Cochin Saint Vincent De Paul, APHP, Paris, France. gilles.grange@cch.ap-hop-paris.fr
Vayssière
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; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution