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NHS helps thousands of pregnant smokers kick the habit

2 mins read Children's dentistry Alcohol and tobacco
Latest figures show that the smoking rate for pregnant women at the time of birth fell to 9.1 per cent in 2021-22, the lowest annual rate on record, and down from 10.6 per cent prior to the NHS beginning to roll out its Long Term Plan in 2019. Over the three years since March 2019, 14,758 fewer pregnant women were smokers at the time of birth than there would have been if that rate had stayed the same.

Smoking in pregnancy carries serious health risks. Carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke reduces the amount of oxygen getting to the placenta and baby, which can lead to women going into labour early as well as increasing the chance of miscarriage, stillbirth and sudden infant death.

Following the rollout of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, all pregnant women are offered electronic checks to test their exposure to carbon monoxide, which is a harmful chemical present in cigarette smoke.

The NHS’s Long-Term Plan builds on this success, ensuring all maternity services are able to offer all pregnant woman who smoke specialist support to quit, with focused treatment which includes nicotine replacement therapy.

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