Overview

Is It Safe to Smoke While Pregnant?

Cigarette smoking during pregnancy has been identified as one of the most significant factors contributing to poor pregnancy outcomes.

Smoking during pregnancy increases the likelihood of any of the following

• Miscarriage

• Premature delivery

• Stillbirth

• Low birth weight

Women who quit before or during pregnancy can reduce or eliminate these risks. Despite the well-documented maternal, fetal and infant health effects of smoking during pregnancy, 16.9 percent of births in Ohio were to mothers who smoked (2012 Vital Statistics). 

About Ohio Partners for Smoke Free Families 

The Perinatal Smoking Cessation Program is working with national, state and local partners to reduce the prevalence of smoking among women of reproductive age, including pregnant women. Through its Ohio Partners for Smoke Free Families Initiative, the program aims to increase the adoption, reach and impact of evidence-based behavioral cessation strategies for reproductive-aged women /pregnant smokers.

Quit Today!
Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669)
Or visit the Ohio Quitline

Ohio Partners for Smoke Free Families is promoting the 5 A’s , which is an evidence-based, brief counseling intervention for smoking cessation.  The 5 A's are released by the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ) and published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Service in its Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence Guidelines.  More information can be found on the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality's website.

Support from health care providers has been proven highly effective in helping smokers quit. The 5 A’s is used during routine health care visits.

The 5 A’s  Ask if the patient smokes.   Advise her to quit.   Assess her willingness to quit.   Assist her in ways to quit.   Arrange for a follow-up during subsequent visits.