Maternal Smoking, Pre-Term Births Reduced by Smoking Ban

An accelerating, nationwide smoke-free trend in the US has yielded encouraging results in the rates of maternal smoking and birth outcomes.

According to the new data, strong smoke-free policies can improve fetal outcomes by significantly reducing the prevalence of maternal smoking.

Pregnancy and Antenatal Care
What is Antenatal care and its importance during pregnancy for mother and baby, with details on the medical test preformed during the first visit to the doctor.

The study, which was presented today at the American Public Health Association''s 138th Annual Meeting & Exposition in Denver, compared maternal smoking prevalence in one Colorado city where a smoking ban has already been implemented to that of a neighboring city where there is no ordinance.

Researchers from the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy collected data from mothers residing in Pueblo, Colo., before and after a citywide smoking ban took effect. Results show a 23 percent decrease in the odds of preterm births and a 37 percent decrease in the odds of maternal smoking in Pueblo following the ban. Birth outcomes in El Paso County, Colo., however, showed no such drop during the same time period. Findings in this first-ever study in United States reflect similar findings as national data from Dublin, Ireland.

The study suggests that smoking bans have a significant and immediate positive impact on the health of infants and mothers. Pre-term babies stand a greater likelihood of experiencing cardiovascular issues later in life.

Quiz on Smoking
Approximately half the smokers die due to smoking -related diseases. But it is not just the smokers who are at the receiving end. The passive smokers too, often pay a heavy price. If you still have not 'kicked the butt’, learn more horrifying facts about smoking by participating in the following quiz.

"This research proves that smoking is an irrefutable risk factor for expectant mothers who are acutely more affected," said Associate Professor Dr. Robert Page at the University of Coloardo, Schools of Pharmacy and Medicne, and lead researcher on the study, who presented the findings. "The good news is that implementing strong tobacco control policy can protect even the most vulnerable from the deadly consequences of smoking."

Why smoking can kill you
Every cigarette you smoke is causing irreversible damage to your body; slowly killing you from the inside. It also endangers those around you, your family and children.

Source-Newswise

Pregnancy and Complications
In-depth guide for expecting mothers to overcome health complications related to early or late pregnancy. Anemia, urinary infection, diabetes, premature labor to name a few.