Training midwives to help pregnant women stop smoking

Abstract

This study hypothesized that midwives with fuller training in smoking cessation and intervention techniques would be more successful Than those without such training at enabling pregnant women to give up smoking. Twenty-six midwives were divided equally between a control and treatment group. after one year, the results showed quit rates of 9% in the treatment group and 0% in the control group. Reported relapse rates were 4% and occurred within one month postpartum. The treatment group reported reducing smoking by 13.1 cigarettes a day compared with 16 in the control group. the intervention therefore helped to cut the number of cigarettes smoked.