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One in five new mothers in Telford still smoking
Friday 17th February 2012, 11:00AM GMT.
One in five mums-to-be in Telford continues to smoke right up to the time their babies are born, shocking new figures revealed today.
And expectant mums in the rest of Shropshire are also failing to stub out their habit – with 13 per cent still smoking at the end of their pregnancies. This is despite overwhelming advice from doctors that they are putting their babies’ lives at risk.
New figures show a staggering 115 women out of the 551 who gave birth in Telford in the third quarter of last year were still smoking.
The NHS Information Centre statistics also reveal 86 smokers gave birth during the same period in the rest of Shropshire out of a total of 627.
Each year £1million is spent across Shropshire and Telford warning women of the dangers of smoking while they are pregnant.
Babies of mothers who smoke are more likely to be born prematurely, die from cot death, suffer from asthma, glue ear and be physically weaker.
NHS Telford and Wrekin says its service to help people give up smoking was so successful last year it is facing a £400,000 overspend.
Between April 2010 and March 2011, 4,000 people came to one of the stop smoking services in the Telford and Wrekin area, with 72 pregnant women being helped to quit at four weeks.
Professor Rod Thompson, the director of public health at the Shropshire County Primary Care Trust, said family and friends of pregnant women could help them kick the habit.
Dr Chris Weiner, Public Health consultant for NHS Telford and Wrekin said: “We have a specialised service to support pregnant women who want to stop smoking. The staff offer support via one-to-one sessions delivered anywhere to suit pregnant women, including in their own homes.”
For details on the Stop Smoking Service in Shropshire, call 01743 277537 or visit http://www.shropshire.nhs.uk/Keeping-Healthy/Stop-Smoking. In Telford call (01952) 582659.
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But how many of the fathers are smoking?
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How many know who the father is?
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They are quite entitled to inflict death sticks on themselves, but they have no right to inflict them on anyone else, including unborn children.
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Spell out the answer – C..H..A..V..s
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So 20% of the town are Waynetta’s, how frightening.
W-a-y-n-e, W-a-y-n-e, get Frogmella a pizza I am ‘aving a fag…..
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Having recently had a premature baby at SRH- I can tell you that the percentage of smoking Mums is much higher than 20% in Premature babies.
Given the cost of putting a baby through the neonatal unit and the scientific evidence that smoking during pregnancy is linked to premature birth- I think that this is a scandalous situation.
These people are a burden on the tax-payer and occupying expensive space & resource that could be used by Mums and babies whose prematurity is not self-inflicted!
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