Health - Clear Air: Pregnant women who stop smoking do babies a service

By: By Linda Searing | THE WASHINGTON POST
Published: June 05, 2009

The question: If a woman quits smoking early in pregnancy, does her baby still face higher risks than if she had never smoked?

This study: It analyzed data on 2,504 pregnant women. About 80 percent were nonsmokers, 10 percent quit smoking before the 15th week of pregnancy, and 10 percent continued to smoke while pregnant. Rates of premature births and smaller-than-normal babies were highest among smokers and virtually the same among women who never smoked and those who had stopped: For premature birth, 10 percent among smokers vs. 4 percent for the others; for small babies, 17 percent vs. 10 percent. Uncomplicated deliveries were more common among women who had stopped smoking than among those who continued to smoke.

Who may be affected? Pregnant women. Smoking during pregnancy exposes the baby in the womb to nicotine and carbon monoxide, which can restrict the child's access to oxygen and food. Smoking by pregnant women also has been linked to an increase in stillbirths, ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages, premature deliveries and babies weighing less than normal at birth.

Caveats: The women's smoking status was based on their responses to questionnaires. The authors encouraged all pregnant women to stop smoking, noting that "improved pregnancy outcomes have been noted in women who stop by as late as 32 weeks' gestation."

Find this study: March 26 online issue of BMJ.

Learn more: www.lungusa.org (search for "pregnancy") and www.acog.org (click "Publications," then "Patient Education Pamphlets").