Stopping Smoking in Pregnancy: A briefing for maternity care providers

The fourth edition of this briefing gives expert, concise guidance on how to deliver Very Brief Advice (VBA) to pregnant women who smoke and how to carry out routine carbon monoxide (CO) monitoring with all pregnant women.

Smoking in pregnancy is a significant health problem for the mother and the baby. Many women who smoke will quit by themselves before becoming pregnant and others will stop once their pregnancy is confirmed; other pregnant women will need considerable support to stop smoking successfully.

Local stop smoking services have specialist pregnancy smoking cessation practitioners who provide behavioural support and advice on medication to pregnant women who smoke and who want to stop. Guiding pregnant women who smoke towards these services is an important and potentially life saving intervention.