Monday, 03 June 2019
Having a supportive partner can make a difference in helping pregnant women give up smoking, according to new study by a team of East Midlands researchers.
NHS figures show that 13 per cent of women in England smoke and around 10.5 per cent carry on smoking when they become pregnant, endangering their baby’s health as well as their own.
The researchers from the 糖心原创 and the NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (), East Midlands, explored the best ways of how to support women and help them successfully give up smoking during their pregnancy.
They found that, according to smoking cessation practitioners, partners, who lend their support, can be hugely beneficial. The findings, published in the June edition of the journal also indicate that having a close friend, relative or non-smoking ‘buddy’ to offer encouragement and assistance can also be helpful for women who do not have a partner, or whose partner may be less willing to offer support.
Continued smoking during pregnancy poses substantial health risks to both the mother and baby. For example, the mothers鈥� risks of having an ectopic pregnancy or a miscarriage are increased, and the babies can become more prone to having growth problems, developing asthma or becoming a smoker later in life.
Buddying up to a non-smoker
Libby added: “We wanted to find out the best ways of how to support women and help them successfully give up smoking during their pregnancy. We did this mainly by collecting the views from health care professionals, throughout England, based on their experiences of offering stop smoking support to pregnant clients.
“We found that good support given by a partner in a quit attempt can be particularly useful, especially if the partner is trying to stop smoking too. For women who do not have a partner, or whose partner may be less willing to offer support, having a close friend, relative or non-smoking ‘buddy’ to offer encouragement and assistance can also be helpful. Overall, although pregnant women can sometimes be reluctant to receive stop smoking support from a healthcare professional, those who do receive this type of support tend to find it really useful and are more likely to successfully stop smoking.”
Robust research has previously shown that one-to-one behavioural support delivered by trained smoking advisors helps pregnant smokers to stop, however response rates are varied. This is why the research team wanted to further explore some of the challenges that pregnant smokers might be facing and how they can be solved.
All the findings from the study are being collected and will be used to form the basis of anti-smoking programmes to be integrated into standard NHS training initiatives.
NIHR CLAHRC East Midlands is a partnership of the NHS, universities, patients and industry which sets out to improve patient outcomes by conducting research of local relevance and international quality.
The full research study is available via the following link: .
Story credits
More information is available from Libbie Fergie, School of Medicine via email Elizabeth.Fergie1@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.