Latest News – Study on New Mothers & Smoking Cessation Recruiting

Many women quit smoking when pregnant but relapse after childbirth

2 February 2022 | Hannah Rubery

A university in Norfolk aims to look at the efficiency of a new initiative launched recently there. BabyBreathe is a funded intervention recently started in Norfolk as a way of helping new mothers and their partners stay smoke-free after their child’s birth. It was established due to there being little to no routine support available to encourage new mothers to stay smoke-free after childbirth.

Lead study author Prof Caitlin Notley from the university’s medical school noted that “It’s a big problem as around 75% of women who quit smoking for pregnancy, relapse before their baby turns one.” It’s well known that there are risks from alcohol and nicotine consumption during pregnancy, let alone to small children, so ensuring that aid is there for those that need it after childbirth is key.

For this reason, the University of East Anglia (UEA) is currently looking to recruit pregnant women and new mothers to test this smoking cessation package. The package includes support from a health visitor, tailored online aid, app-based & text message support, support to use alternatives to smoking and self-rewards to remain smoke-free.

While vaping is a smoking cessation tool that may perform higher than traditional NRTs (Nicotine Replacement Therapy) and carries significantly less risk than smoking, there is little research on the safety of vaping in pregnancy. Although the NHS does state that E-Cigarettes are likely to be less harmful to pregnant women and their children, than smoking, there is still little research on the full effects. For this reason, we discourage the use of E-Cigarettes in pregnancy. For further advice, we would always recommend contacting the NHS Smokefree helpline for free expert help.

You can call the NHS Smokefree helpline on 0300 123 1044 for more information or ask your midwife to refer you.

The NHS (National Health Service) continues to back vaping and E-Cigarettes as a highly useful smoking cessation tool, even suggesting starting to offer E-Cigarettes on prescription. With studies like this looking at pregnant women and smoking cessation, we hope to hear more information on smoking cessation aids for new and expecting mothers.