CINCINNATI (WKRC) - More women may be smoking and exposed to nicotine during pregnancy than previously thought.
That was according to a new study by researchers from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. The study was conducted along with Cradle Cincinnati and it found a big gap between the number of local pregnant moms who said they smoked in the community and the number who tested positive for exposure to nicotine.
Researchers said it showed women may have a tougher time quitting smoking while pregnant than previously thought. Almost one in five women in the study had high levels of exposure to nicotine detected in pregnancy but about half that number admitted to using cigarettes. The concern was smoking increases the risk a baby will be born before its full term by 25 percent. Smoking can also be risk factors for SIDS and other birth defects.
Researchers looked at more than 700 local women. They said the numbers of women who actually smoked compared to what was reported was highest for women who were African American.
The really important message was that if women were pregnant and they shared that they smoked with a health care provider, it was important for women to know there was a lot of support to help them quit. Second hand smoke and e-cigarettes were also found to be a concern for babies in the study.
