Why do pregnant women smoke and can we help them quit?

As observed by Dr. Linda Dodds (see pages 185 to 190 of this issue), there has been little change in recent years in the smoking rate of about 30% among pregnant women in Nova Scotia. Women who smoke during pregnancy tend to be young, unmarried, undereducated and multiparous and tend not to go to prenatal classes. Many pregnant women find it extremely difficult to stop smoking even when they understand the risks to the fetus. Routine advice given by physicians on smoking cessation is clearly ineffective. However, informed physicians who recognize the difficulty of quitting and offer support and advice in a systematic way can help women to progress through the stages of the smoking cessation process.