Professionals

The information in this section is aimed at health and care professionals who might want a bit more information than they have had during their training around smoking in pregnancy and beyond. It also links to sites with resources to be used in health and care settings to promote smoking cessation. 

Women and families are also welcome to access these resources if they want more in depth and clinical information. 

New videos on smoking in pregnancy - March 2024

Our LMNS Prevention Leads Vicky White and Laura Caldicott, and Tobacco Dependency advisor Gillian Cunningham filmed some fantastic patient facing videos on smoking in pregnancy in March 2024.

These include:
• Midwives mythbusting – don’t be scared to say you smoke, we can help!
• Midwives mythbusting – it’s always better to stop
• Midwives mythbusting on smoking and stress
• Midwives mythbusting smoking in pregnancy myths
• The importance of stopping smoking during pregnancy
• CO monitoring
• Midwives discussing tobacco dependency treatment
• Benefits of quitting at any stage in pregnancy

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Government praise for NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB's 'pioneering' work to help people stop smoking - NHS Quit Together

The NHS and our partners in Humber and North Yorkshire have been praised by the Government for our “pioneering” work to help people quit smoking.

Health Minister Neil O’Brien MP said NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) was “leading the way in devoting local health service resources and organising the local system to have a local voice in driving down smoking rates in their most deprived communities“.

In a speech to the Policy Exchange, Mr O’Brien said other ICBs should follow our example and “develop similar partnerships with local authorities to create effective tobacco control programmes“.

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Nicotine in pregnancy

A Smoking in Pregnancy Challenge Group webinar on nicotine in pregnancy is available to view.

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E-cigarettes in pregnancy

A guide and key messages on the use of e-cigarettes before, during and after pregnancy for health professionals working with pregnant women and their babies have been developed by Smokefree Action.

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Delivering a Smokefree 2030

Delivering a Smokefree 2030 is the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health recommendations for the Tobacco Control Plan 2021. The report details the action needed to reach the government ambition of a Smokefree country by 2030 (<5% prevalence across all populations). A couple of notable recommendations included (i) funding for tobacco control programmes to be secured through a ‘polluter pays’ amendment to the Health and Social Care Bill, forcing manufacturers to pay to deliver the end of smoking, and (ii) tougher tobacco regulations to protect children and young people from becoming smokers and help smokers quit, such as putting health warnings on cigarettes and consulting on raising the age of sale to 21.

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Public Health England % smoking at time of delivery data

This data from Public Health England details the % of pregnant women smoking at time of delivery by Clinical Commissioning Group area in North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, East Riding of Yorkshire, Hull, Vale of York and North Yorkshire.

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Guidelines from the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training

Smoking in pregnancy poses significant health risks to both mother and baby. For the mother, smoking is associated with a significantly increased risk of miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, placenta praevia and deep vein thrombosis.

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Secondhand smoke postcards

The Challenge Group has developed 5 postcard resources highlighting the harms of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in the home and the benefits of quitting smoking or switching to alternative products. They include messages targeted at women and families who are currently pregnant, have recently had a baby, or are planning for another child.

The postcards are designed to be used directly with women and families and can also serve as training aids. You can download a zip file containing the postcards here.

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The British Thoracic Society (BTS) has published its second UK wide audit of the smoking cessation advice

The British Thoracic Society (BTS) has published its second UK wide audit of the smoking cessation advice and services offered by hospitals to their patients. The audit found modest improvement in most areas since 2016, with slow progress in referrals, adopting and enforcing smoke free grounds and a decrease in hospital-funded smoking cessation practitioners.

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Smokefree Pregnancy Champions

The Smoking in Pregnancy Challenge Group coordinates a national Smokefree Pregnancy Champions network made up of over 70 maternity and healthcare professionals leading initiatives to reduce smoking in pregnancy. We’re seeking to expand this network to ensure that we have a champion in each Trust.

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Audit: The cost of smoking in pregnancy

Colleagues at Sherwood Forest Hospital NHS Trust have carried out an audit of the impact of smoking in pregnancy on the Trust, looking specifically at whether smokers have a higher incidence of complications during and after pregnancy compared to non-smokers.

The audit included 25 non-smokers and 25 smokers, who had given birth at Sherwood and used data collated from review notes.

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Baby Fund Calculator

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Find your local Support Service

A range of area specific support services to help you stop smoking are available in East Riding, Hull, North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire and City of York. We have also included information and a link to the HNY Swap and Stop initiative. 

Find support now

Lets Stop Together!

Have you found out you are pregnant?

Do you smoke?

If you are looking for help and support to quit smoking during pregnancy anywhere in the Humber and North Yorkshire area then Bump The Habit is here to help and support you.

Find out how we can help

Real Life Stories’

pregnant-lady2

Vicky’s Story

Vicky, 39, from Hull, used to smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day but has now been smoke-free for four weeks (as of July 2020).

Vicky was at college when she first started smoking. It wasn’t something she thought much about initially, but all of her friends smoked and she soon got caught up with the crowd. Once hooked, it became a habit for her, and she was soon smoking up to 10 cigarettes a day, which increased as she got older.

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bear-iconWhy quit

Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for you and your baby’s health. At Bump The Habit, we realise it’s a stressful time for you and we are here to give you all the support and help that you need. We offer home visits that work around you and we can also support o ther members of your family to quit at the same time.

1

Your pregnancy: complications may include bleeding, detachment of the placenta and ectopic pregnancy. The risk of miscarriage and premature birth is also greater

2

Your birth: chance of stillbirth or death within the first week of life is increased by up to one third

3

Your baby: on average babies born to women who smoke have low birth weights and are more prone to illness and infections. Your baby is also more likely to suffer defects, such as a cleft palate

4

Your child: on average, children born to smokers are smaller, have lower achievements in reading and maths and an increased risk of asthma. Your child is also three times as likely to become a smoker themselves

5

New you: stop now and see the effects almost immediately; the carbon monoxide and other chemicals quickly leave your body increasing the oxygen in your blood which supplies your baby

Find out how we can help

Myth buster

Myth: I only smoke light cigarettes, so it’s not as bad...

FACT

Smokers who switch to ‘light’ or ‘mild’ brands end up compensating for lower levels of tar and nicotine by inhaling smoke more deeply or by smoking more of each cigarette. If you smoke light cigarettes, you will still be putting harmful chemicals into your body.

Myth: I'm pregnant and have been smoking, so there is no point in stopping now.

FACT

Quitting smoking at any stage of your pregnancy has health benefits for you and your baby. Even after just one day of not smoking, your baby will get more oxygen. This will help your baby’s lungs develop well. Quitting now also lowers your chances of having a baby with low birth weight.

Myth: Quitting smoking will be too stressful on my baby.

FACT

Quitting smoking doesn’t put extra stress on your baby. It’s one of the best things that you can do for your health and your baby’s health during pregnancy—and after the baby is born. By quitting smoking now, you will be protecting your infant from the dangers of secondhand smoke and reducing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. 

Myth: Smoking fewer cigarettes during pregnancy is OK.

FACT

There is no safe amount of smoking. Every puff of a cigarette releases harmful chemicals that will reach your baby and affect your health too. 

E-cigarettes are also not harmless as they do contain some toxins, but at far lower levels than found in tobacco smoke. If you are pregnant and smoking cigarettes choosing to vape instead may help you to quit smoking and stay smoke free, 

 

Myth: Smoking relaxes me, and being relaxed is better for me and my baby.

FACT

Smoking may make you feel calmer, but it hurts your body more than it helps. The relaxed feeling is only temporary and whatever is causing your stress will likely return. Smoking speeds up your heart rate and increases your blood pressure. It also increases the carbon monoxide in your bloodstream, which means your baby gets less oxygen. 

Myth: There is nothing wrong with having a small baby.

FACT

Smoking during pregnancy increases the chances of having a low birth weight baby. Babies with low birth weight are more likely to have serious health problems than normal weight babies. These problems can affect your baby’s health now, throughout their childhood, and into adulthood. 

Myth: I smoked during my last pregnancy and had a healthy baby, so this next baby will be healthy too.

FACT

Every time you smoke during pregnancy, you put your baby’s health at risk. If you smoked and had a healthy pregnancy in the past that does not mean your next one will be healthy, too.

Myth: Using hookah pipes (hubbly bubbly) is less harmful than cigarette smoking.

FACT

Water pipe smokers, and secondhand smokers exposed to them, are at risk of the same kinds of diseases that are caused by cigarette smoking, including cancer, heart and respiratory diseases, as well as adverse effects during pregnancy.

A World Health Organisation study has suggested that during 1 session on a water pipe (around 20 to 80 minutes), a person can inhale the same amount of smoke as a cigarette smoker consuming 100 or more cigarettes.