Smoking and smoking cessation in pregnancy

Smoking during pregnancy is among the leading preventable causes of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Smoking prevalence among young women is the primary determinant of smoking prevalence during pregnancy. Smoking among women of childbearing age is associated with reduced fertility, increased complications of pregnancy, and a variety of adverse fetal outcomes. There is increasing evidence of lasting adverse effects on offspring. Guidelines for smoking cessation during pregnancy have been developed. This article reviews the epidemiology of smoking during pregnancy, the adverse effects of smoking on the mother, fetus, and offspring, and recommended approaches to smoking cessation for pregnant women.     

Smoking and Smoking Cessation During Pregnancy and Postpartum

Smoking cessation during and after pregnancy can confer many health benefits to women and their children. Smoking behavior can fluctuate from quitting or reducing during the first trimester to relapses later in pregnancy and postpartum. Abstinence during pregnancy is associated with level of addiction, socioeconomic status, level of education, maternal age, age to start smoking, partner's smoking habit, and secondhand smoke exposure. Low-barrier interventions that reach impoverished and disadvantaged women who are most at risk for smoking and also have the hardest time quitting are needed. At a minimum, pregnant smokers should be offered self-help materials and a 10-minute face-to-face psychosocial intervention. Offering incentives to pregnant women to quit smoking is the most effective intervention. Data are inconclusive regarding the efficacy of smoking cessation pharmacotherapy during pregnancy and postpartum. Because there are also safety concerns about fetal exposure, the use of pharmacotherapy for pregnant women remains controversial.     

Preventing smoking during pregnancy: the importance of maternal knowledge of the health hazards and of the treatment options available

OBJECTIVE:

To examine the pattern of tobacco use and knowledge about tobacco-related diseases, as well as to identify popular types of electronic media, in pregnant women, in order to improve strategies for the prevention or cessation of smoking among such women.

METHODS:

A cross-sectional study involving 61 pregnant women, seen at primary care clinics and at a university hospital, in the city of Botucatu, Brazil. For all subjects, we applied the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. For subjects with a history of smoking, we also applied the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence, and we evaluated the level of motivation to quit smoking among the current smokers.

RESULTS:

Of the 61 pregnant women evaluated, 25 (40.9%) were smokers (mean age, 26.4 ± 7.4 years), 24 (39.3%) were former smokers (26.4 ± 8.3 years), and 12 (19.8%) were never-smokers (25.1 ± 7.2 years). Thirty-nine women (63.9%) reported exposure to passive smoking. Of the 49 smokers/former smokers, 13 (26.5%) were aware of the pulmonary consequences of smoking; only 2 (4.1%) were aware of the cardiovascular risks; 23 (46.9%) believed that smoking does not harm the fetus or newborn infant; 21 (42.9%) drank alcohol during pregnancy; 18 (36.7%) reported increased cigarette consumption when drinking; 25 (51.0%) had smoked flavored cigarettes; and 12 (24.5%) had smoked a narghile. Among the 61 pregnant women evaluated, television was the most widely available and favorite form of electronic media (in 85.2%), as well as being the form most preferred (by 49.2%).

CONCLUSIONS:

Among pregnant women, active smoking, passive smoking, and alternative forms of tobacco consumption appear to be highly prevalent, and such women seem to possess little knowledge about the consequences of tobacco use. Educational programs that include information about the consequences of all forms of tobacco use, employing new and effective formats tailored to this particular population, should be developed, in order to promote smoking prevention and cessation among pregnant women. Further samples to explore regional and cultural adaptations should be evaluated.     

Tobacco smoke exposure of pregnant mothers and blood pressure in their newborns: results from the wheezing illnesses study Leidsche Rijn birth cohort

There is evidence to suggest that exposure of pregnant women to tobacco smoke is related to higher childhood blood pressure in their offspring. It is not well known whether this association is set in utero or by shared postnatal environments. The objective of this study was to assess the association between tobacco smoke exposure of pregnant mothers and blood pressure and heart rate of their newborns. In an unselected birth cohort, blood pressure and heart rate were measured in 456 infants at approximately 2 months of age. Smoking exposure of mothers in pregnancy was obtained by questionnaire. Of 456 mothers whose infants had blood pressure measured, 363 (79.6%) were not exposed to tobacco smoke in pregnancy, 63 (13.8%) did not smoke in pregnancy but were exposed by others, and 30 (6.6%) smoked. Infant offspring of mothers who had smoked during pregnancy had 5.4 mm Hg (95% CI: 1.2 to 9.7; P=0.01) higher systolic blood pressure levels than offspring of mothers who were not exposed to tobacco smoke in pregnancy, taking account of birth weight, infant age, gender, nutrition, and age of mother. No associations were found between maternal exposure to tobacco smoke in pregnancy and diastolic blood pressure. A positive association between maternal exposure to tobacco smoke and heart rate was largely explained by confounding. It can be concluded that maternal exposure to tobacco smoke in pregnancy has a substantial increasing effect on systolic blood pressure in early infancy.     

Smoking cessation strategies in pregnancy: Current concepts and controversies

Smoking during pregnancy is a risk factor associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Despite the fact that these outcomes are well known, a considerable proportion of pregnant women continue to smoke during this critical period. This paper evaluates critically smoking cessation interventions targeting pregnant women. We describe the findings of key published studies, review papers and expert statements to report the efficacy and safety of strategies for smoking cessation in pregnancy, including counselling and pharmacotherapy. Counselling appears to improve quit rates but mainly when used in combination with pharmacological therapy. Pharmacotherapy is recommended for women who are heavy smokers and are unable to quit smoking on their own. Nicotine replacement therapy is a reasonable first-line drug option. It is recommended that women who are pregnant, or planning to become pregnant, should be informed of potential risks for the foetus before considering smoking cessation therapy with bupropion or varenicline. Pregnant women view electronic nicotine delivery systems as being safer than combustible cigarettes, and this indeed may be the case; however, further evidence is required to assess their effectiveness as a smoking cessation aid and their safety for the mother and the child. Postpartum relapse is a significant problem, with approximately one out of two quitters relapsing in the first 2 months after delivery. These women should be considered ‘at risk’ and provided with ongoing support.     

Pre- and postnatal parental smoking and wheeze in infancy: cross cultural differences. Avon Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) Study Team, European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ELSPAC) Co-ordinating Centre.

In longitudinal cohort studies, the relationships between prenatal and postnatal tobacco smoke exposure and infant wheezing illnesses were compared in two geographically defined populations in Avon, UK and Brno and Znojmo in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Pregnant females living in defined regions and with expected dates of delivery between defined dates were recruited. Females completed self-report questionnaires during pregnancy and when their infant was 6 months old. For this analysis, responses to questions about smoking during pregnancy, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure and reported wheezing illnesses of infants at 6 months after birth were used. Odds ratios for wheeze in relation to the smoking variables were calculated with adjustment for potential confounding effects. The prevalence of smoking during pregnancy was higher in Avon (17.5%) than the Czech Republic (7.1%). Exposure of infants to ETS during the first 6 months after birth was also reported to be higher in Avon (35.5%) than the Czech Republic (9.7%). The prevalence of reported wheezing by 6 months of age was 21.4% in Avon and 10.3% in Brno and Znojmo. In Avon, there was a significant relationship between infant wheeze and maternal smoking during pregnancy (odds ratio (95% confidence interval) 1.30 (1.09-1.56), p=0.004) but not with environmental exposure after birth (1.11 (0.98-1.25)). In contrast, in Brno and Znojmo in the Czech Republic, there was a significant relationship between infant wheeze and ETS exposure (1.66 (1.17-2.36), p=0.04) but not with maternal smoking during pregnancy (0.99 (0.64-1.55)). This study demonstrated an apparent difference in the associations between prenatal and postnatal tobacco smoke exposure and infant wheezing illnesses in two populations with different smoking prevalence. The relationships were independent of a number of potential confounding variables that have been associated with infant wheezing. Possible explanations of these observations include dose-related effects of prenatal and postnatal tobacco smoke exposure of infants.     

Malaria in pregnancy shapes the development of foetal and infant immunity

Malaria, particularly Plasmodium falciparum, continues to disproportionately affect pregnant women. In addition to the profoundly deleterious impact of maternal malaria on the health of the mother and foetus, malaria infection in pregnancy has been shown to affect the development of the foetal and infant immune system and may alter the risk of malaria and nonmalarial outcomes during infancy. This review summarizes our current understanding of how malaria infection in pregnancy shapes the protective components of the maternal immune system transferred to the foetus and how foetal exposure to parasite antigens impacts the development of foetal and infant immunity. It also reviews existing evidence linking malaria infection in pregnancy to malaria and nonmalarial outcomes in infancy and how preventing malaria in pregnancy may alter these outcomes. A better understanding of the consequences of malaria infection in pregnancy on the development of foetal and infant immunity will inform control strategies, including intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy and vaccine development.     

Treatment of smoking cessation during pregnancy

Active and passive smoking during pregnancy is an important health problem. The majority of pregnant smoker women continue smoking during pregnancy. Because of the serious risks of tobacco to both mother and fetus, effective behavioral interventions and pharmacotherapy are needed to help pregnant smokers. Pharmacotherapy may useful smoking cessation in pregnancy, but may be the potential harmful effects of medication on the fetus. The very few studies exist that have studied the safety and efficacy of medications to treat pregnant smokers. The treatments for the use pregnancy smokers were summarized in this review.     

Models for Access to Maternal Smoking Cessation Support: a quasi-experiment to increase the engagement of pregnant women who smoke in National Health Service stop smoking services

BackgroundMaternal smoking is a key cause of poor health outcomes. In Wales, a third of pregnant women smoke before or during pregnancy, the highest prevalence of maternal smoking in the UK. Supporting women to stop smoking during pregnancy is a challenging area of public health. Models for Access to Maternal Smoking Cessation Support (MAMSS) aimed to examine the effectiveness of smoking cessation in pregnancy services delivered by specially trained practitioners.MethodsA non-randomised, quasi-experiment was undertaken across four Health Boards in Wales to assess the effectiveness of new models of service designed to increase the engagement of pregnant women in National Health Service (NHS) stop smoking services. Qualitative approaches were adopted to capture important contextual information and consider multiple perspectives. A flexible, bespoke intervention was offered to pregnant women in intervention sites (delivered by a specialist maternity support worker, a specialist midwife, or a specialist Stop Smoking Wales pregnancy adviser) and compared with usual care delivered by the national stop smoking service. Routine data were collected from maternity records and the NHS Stop Smoking Wales service. The primary outcome was the proportion of smokers who engaged with the service. Power calculations showed that 1168 pregnant smokers were required to detect a 15% difference in the proportion of pregnant smokers engaged with smoking cessation services (5% type I error rate and 90% power).Findings2756 women were identified by midwifery staff as pregnant smokers (978 in intervention and 1778 in control sites). The proportion of smokers who engaged with the service was significantly higher across intervention sites than control sites. The highest proportion was observed in Health Board area 3, which employed a maternity support worker to support women to quit smoking, where 64 of 181 pregnant smokers (35%, 95% CI 29–43) set a quit date and attended at least one treatment session compared with just two of 227 in usual care (1%, 0–3). This model cost about £500 per engaged smoker. Qualitative findings highlighted the acceptability and feasibility of delivering the service models.InterpretationThe maternity support worker model is effective in engaging pregnant women with stop smoking services and has the potential to improve future health outcomes.FundingThe research received funding and support in kind from Public Health Wales NHS Trust and the Health Boards involved. Cwm Taf University Health Board's Research and Development department funded their element of the study.     

孕期保健护理对高龄糖尿病孕妇母婴预后的影响

目的分析孕期保健护理对高龄糖尿病孕妇母婴预后的影响。方法选择2018年1月—2020年4月在该院分娩的86例高龄糖尿病孕妇,双盲法划入参照组(n=43)与干预组(n=43)。参照组行常规护理,干预组在此基础上予以孕期保健护理,对比产妇的血糖水平、母婴预后情况及产妇的护理满意度。结果干预组产妇的空腹血糖、餐后2 h血糖及糖化血红蛋白指标均低于参照组产妇,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。干预组产妇产后出现1例并发症,参照组产妇产后出现8例并发症,干预组产妇的并发症发生率相对较低,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。干预组新生儿出现2例不良妊娠结局,参照组新生儿出现10例不良妊娠结局,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。干预组产妇的护理质量满意率是97.67%,参照组产妇的护理质量满意率是76.74%,干预组的护理服务满意率较高,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论孕期保健护理能够降低高龄糖尿病孕妇的母婴不良结局发生率,提高产妇的护理满意度,适合于临床使用。     

Trial of an intervention to reduce passive smoking in infancy

We tested a health education intervention program to reduce passive smoking in infancy. The aim was to develop an instrument for study of tobacco smoke exposure and childhood respiratory illness. One hundred and eighty-four women who had smoked during pregnancy were allocated by month of delivery to an intervention group, to a minimal contact group, or to a follow-up only comparison group. Exposure to smoke was assessed 3 months later by questionnaire and by measurement of cotinine in samples of maternal and infant urine. There was a reduction in maternal smoking associated with contact with research staff, but this was not statistically significant. There were no differences between the groups in the exposure of infants to tobacco smoke. Reasons for this finding may include the timing of the intervention, the heterogeneity of the target group, and the manner in which information was presented on health risks caused by parental smoking.     

睡眠呼吸障碍对妊娠妇女母婴结局影响的研究进展

阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停低通气综合征(OSAHS)是最常见的睡眠呼吸障碍疾病,该病主要通过间歇性低氧和睡眠片段化对人体呼吸、循环、代谢等多系统产生损害。妊娠期特有的激素水平和生理状态可能诱发或恶化OSAHS,从而增加孕妇的OSAHS患病率。目前,妊娠期OSAHS对孕妇及胎、婴儿妊娠结局的影响已经成为国内外研究热点,但并没有得...     

The prevalence and correlates of habitual snoring during pregnancy

Purpose

Mounting evidence implicate habitual snoring, a prominent symptom of sleep-disordered breathing, as an important risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes including preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. Little, however, is known about the determinants of habitual snoring among pregnant women. We sought to assess its prevalence and to identify maternal characteristics associated with habitual snoring during pregnancy.

Methods

Pregnant women (N?=?1,303) receiving prenatal care provided information about habitual snoring before and during pregnancy in in-person interviews completed in early pregnancy. We calculated adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI) from multivariable models designed to identify factors associated with snoring during pregnancy.

Results

Approximately 7.3 % of pregnant women reported habitual snoring during early pregnancy. The odds of habitual snoring during pregnancy was strongly related with maternal reports of habitual snoring prior to the index pregnancy (aOR?=?24.32; 95 % CI, 14.30–41.51). Advanced maternal age (≥35 years) (aOR?=?2.02; 95 % CI, 1.11–3.68), history of pregestational diabetes (aOR?=?3.61; 95 % CI, 1.07–12.2), history of mood and anxiety disorders (aOR?=?1.81; 95 % CI, 1.02–3.20), and prepregnancy overweight (25–29.9 kg/m²) (aOR?=?2.31; 95 % CI, 1.41–3.77) and obesity (≥30 kg/m²) (aOR?=?2.81; 95 % CI, 1.44–5.48) status were statistically significant risk factors for habitual snoring during pregnancy. In addition, maternal smoking during pregnancy (aOR?=?2.70; 95 % CI, 1.17–6.26) was associated with habitual snoring during pregnancy.

Conclusions

Identification of risk factors for habitual snoring during pregnancy has important implications for developing strategies aimed at reducing the prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing, promoting improved sleep hygiene and improved pregnancy outcomes among reproductive-age women.     

Effect of Hazardous Alcohol Use During Pregnancy on Growth Outcomes at Birth: Findings from a South African Cohort Study

Background

Cohort studies have noted associations between hazardous alcohol use during pregnancy and infant growth outcomes, but many have not controlled for potential psychosocial confounders. To assess the unique contribution of hazardous alcohol use, we examined its effect on infant growth outcomes while controlling for maternal psychosocial stressors and hazardous tobacco and drug use in a cohort of 986 pregnant South African women enrolled into the Drakenstein Child Health Study between 2012 and 2015.

Methods

Data on psychosocial stressors and maternal risk behaviors were collected between 28 and 32 weeks of gestation. Participants were categorized as hazardous alcohol users if they obtained moderate or high scores (>10) on the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test at this assessment or retrospectively reported drinking at least 2 drinks weekly during any trimester of pregnancy. Infant growth outcomes were recorded at delivery. Multivariable regression models examined correlates of hazardous alcohol use and associations between hazardous alcohol use and birth outcomes.

Results

Overall, 13% of mothers reported hazardous alcohol use. Recent exposure to intimate partner violence (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.08; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.37, 3.18) and hazardous tobacco use (aOR = 5.03; 95% CI: 2.97, 8.52) were significant correlates of hazardous alcohol use. After controlling for potential psychosocial confounders, hazardous alcohol use remained associated with lower infant weight‐for‐age (B = ?0.35, 95% CI: ?0.56, ?0.14), height‐for‐age (B = ?0.46, 95% CI: ?0.76, ?0.17), and head‐circumference‐for‐age z‐scores (B = ?0.43, 95% CI: ?0.69, ?0.17).

Conclusions

Interventions to reduce hazardous alcohol use among pregnant women in South Africa are needed to prevent alcohol‐related infant growth restrictions. As these growth deficits may lead to neurodevelopmental consequences, it is critical to identify alcohol‐related growth restrictions at birth and link exposed infants to early interventions for neurodevelopment.

     

Maternal Smoking and Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure and the Risk of Allergic Diseases in Japanese Infants: The Osaka Maternal and Child Health Study

Purpose. It remains controversial whether environmental tobacco smoke increases the risk of allergic diseases. The present prospective cohort study examined whether in utero exposure to maternal smoking and postnatal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke were associated with the development of wheeze, asthma, and atopic eczema in Japanese infants. Methods. Study subjects included 763 infants. Data were obtained through the use of questionnaires completed by the mother during pregnancy and at 2 to 9 and 16 to 24 months postdelivery. Information regarding maternal smoking during pregnancy and postnatal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke was collected at 2 to 9 months postdelivery, and information on allergic symptoms was collected when the infant was between 16 to 24 months of age. Cases were defined according to criteria of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood for wheeze and atopic eczema. Additionally, doctor-diagnosed asthma and atopic eczema were identified. Adjustment was made for maternal age, family income, maternal and paternal education, parental history of asthma, atopic eczema, allergic rhinitis, indoor domestic pets, baby's older siblings, baby's sex, birth weight, and time of surveys. Results. The cumulative incidence of wheeze, atopic eczema, doctor-diagnosed asthma, and doctor-diagnosed atopic eczema was 22.1%, 18.6%, 4.3%, and 9.0%, respectively. Maternal smoking during pregnancy was not related to the risk of wheeze, whereas postnatal maternal smoking in the same room as the child increased the risk of wheeze. No significant association was observed between perinatal tobacco smoke exposure and the development of asthma and atopic eczema. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that postnatal maternal smoking might be associated with an increased risk of wheeze in Japanese infants.     

Exposición prenatal y posnatal al tabaco y síntomas respiratorios y alérgicos en los primeros años de vida

Background and objectives

To analyse the relationship between prenatal and postnatal tobacco exposure and the development of respiratory and allergy symptoms during the first 4 years of life.

Patients and methods

Prospective and multicentred cohort study that included the subjects belonging to AMICS (Asthma Multicentred Infant Cohort Study) located in Ashford (England), Barcelona and Minorca (Spain). We recruited 1611 children, followed from the pregnancy to the 4th year of life, whose parents annually answered a questionnaire on their tobacco consumption and their children's respiratory and allergy health. In the Barcelona cohort (n=487) a tobacco exposure biomarker (cotinine) was analysed on several matrices.

Results

Prenatal tobacco exposure is associated with a greater risk of hospitalisation due to respiratory infection, particularly in the second year of life, whereas postnatal tobacco exposure is associated more strongly with the presence of late wheezing presence and increases in the chance of being diagnosed with asthma at 4 years of age. The children prenatally and postnatally exposed had more persistent wheezing, persistent rhoncus, early cough, a higher number of upper respiratory infections per year and a greater number were diagnosed with asthma. The higher the levels of cotinine measured, the higher was the risk for wheezing. No relationship was seen between tobacco exposure and atopic symptoms.

Conclusions

Passive smoke exposure during pregnancy and childhood has very distinct clinical respiratory effects in children. Therefore, smoking cessation of childbearing age women must be a priority of preventive medicine.     

Thyroid disease in pregnancy

BACKGROUND: During pregnancy, changes in maternal physiology influence thyroid status. In addition, maternal thyroid disease can have substantial adverse effects on the fetus. Therefore, evaluating and treating women with thyroid disease during pregnancy requires careful observation and management to ensure favorable pregnancy outcomes. To evaluate thyroid hormone levels during gestation, gestational age-specific values should be used. When hyperthyroidism is treated, the goals of therapy are to achieve a subclinical hyperthyroid state and monitor fetal development. Care must be taken so as not to induce a state of maternal hypothyroidism during pregnancy, since such a diagnosis is also associated with adverse outcomes for both mother and infant. CONCLUSIONS: Consideration should be given to routine screening of pregnant women and all women of childbearing age for thyroid disease.     

Maternal tobacco exposure during pregnancy and allergic rhinitis in offspring: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:Maternal tobacco exposure during pregnancy is known to cause a potential hazard to the offspring''s health. So far, published studies have shown no consistent results with whether tobacco exposure in utero is causally linked to the development of allergic rhinitis in offspring. The aim of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the association between maternal tobacco exposure during pregnancy and allergic rhinitis in offspring by meta-analysis and to provide reference for clinical work.Methods:Literatures were searched in CNKI, Wanfang Data, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Web of science and Embase up to September 30,2020. Screening, inclusion, quality assessment, data extraction and data analysis of the literatures were conducted. Meta-analysis was performed with Revman 5.3 and State15.1 software. Odds ratio (OR) and 95%CI were used as observation indicators.Results:We had retrieved 16 articles with 22 independent datasets and 11,49,879 sample size. When all the studies were analyzed together, the results showed that maternal smoking exposure during pregnancy would increase the risk of allergic rhinitis in offspring (OR = 1.13, 95%CI:1.02–1.26), especially maternal passive smoking during pregnancy (OR = 1.39, 95%CI:1.05–1.84). But subgroup analysis showed that maternal active smoking during pregnancy was only significantly associated with offspring allergic rhinitis in cross-sectional studies (OR = 1.24, 95%CI:1.07–1.45) and study done in America study (OR = 1.22, 95%CI:1.05–1.42).Conclusions:Tobacco exposure during pregnancy could increase the risk of allergic rhinitis in offspring. The importance of avoiding prenatal tobacco exposure should be emphasized more for the health of next generation in the public.