In the United States, nearly 1 in 5 women smoke. The College also reminds clinicians that pregnancy is often a great motivator to quit smoking.
In the United States, nearly 1 in 5 women smoke. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College) encourage women to abstain from smoking and reminds obstetricians and gynecologists that smoking shaves an average of 14.5 years off the lives of female smokers. The College also reminds clinicians that pregnancy is often a great motivator to quit smoking. In 2008, roughly 20% of pregnant women who smoked quit during pregnancy.1
Smoking during pregnancy puts babies at a higher risk for preterm birth, low birth weight, placental abruption, sudden infant death syndrome, poor lung function, asthma, and bronchitis. In addition, the harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke are passed through breast milk to babies. Pregnancy is a good opportunity for obstetricians and gynecologists to talk to patients who smoke about support groups, local smoking cessation resources, and medical therapies that may increase the odds of permanently quitting. For non-pregnant women, nicotine replacement products and or medications such as buproprion or varenicline in combination with nicotine replacement products can double the chances of quitting.1
Reference
1. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Today smoking cessation takes center stage: Ob-Gyns support the 36th annual Great American Smokeout. Accessed November 18, 2011.
S1E4: Dr. Kristina Adams-Waldorf: Pandemics, pathogens and perseverance
July 16th 2020This episode of Pap Talk by Contemporary OB/GYN features an interview with Dr. Kristina Adams-Waldorf, Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Adjunct Professor in Global Health at the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine in Seattle.
Listen
Reducing multifetal pregnancy through publicly funded IVF programs
April 26th 2024Learn how a mandatory elective single-embryo transfer policy in publicly funded in vitro fertilization programs significantly decreases multifetal pregnancy rates, offering insights into mitigating risks in assisted reproduction.
Read More
Higher preterm birth risk found following cesarean delivery at full dilation
March 26th 2024Recent research highlights an association between cesarean delivery at full dilation and increased risk of subsequent preterm birth, prompting further investigation into childbirth practices and outcomes.
Read More
Unveiling the complexities of preterm birth risk from nativity, ethnicity, and race
March 22nd 2024A recent study dissected the relationships between maternal nativity, ethnicity, and race in influencing preterm birth rates, shedding light on disparities and suggesting avenues for future research.
Read More