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Smoking in pregnancy shock
One in five Wigan woman smoke during pregnancy
ONE in five pregnant women in Wigan are still smoking up to the birth.
The shocking figures released by the NHS Information Centre show that the borough’s mums are some of the worst in the country for smoking while pregnant.
In the last year, 19.2 per cent of mothers giving birth were still smoking up to delivery – above the North West average of 16.9 per cent and the national average of just 13.4 per cent.
Whilst the figures are slightly down from last year (19.9 per cent) Wigan still has a huge problem with smoking during pregnancy.
In the study, towns were also given a classification with Wigan falling under the ‘Manufacturing Town’ heading. The figure of 19.2 per cent is also just above the Manufacturing Town average of 19.1 per cent.
Dr Kate Ardern, director of public health AWL PCT, said: “The evidence that smoking is harmful to both the pregnant woman and the unborn child is irrefutable. Unfortunately, most pregnant smokers become addicted to nicotine whilst they themselves are still children.
“To reduce the number of pregnant women who smoke requires a two-pronged strategy of reducing the numbers of our children who take up smoking in the first place and providing ongoing support for smokers who wish to quit.
“We have been aware that for some years the take up of smoking by girls is high, and consequently relatively high numbers of women who become pregnant are smokers. We do have a specialist Stop Smoking in Pregnancy Team who target all pregnant women known to be smokers and provide intensive support to help them to quit smoking.
“This year we will be assessing the carbon monoxide levels of all mothers-to-be and their unborn children via a type of breathalyser when they first book into the maternity service. At every subsequent visit women will be asked about smoking, given advice and access to the specialist team.
“Reducing smoking for people of all ages remains a high priority for Wigan’s Health and Wellbeing Board.”
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Friday 25 May 2012
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Comments
There are 54 comments to this article
Page 1 of 4
Trelawney
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 06:57 PMWhilst not condoning your actions, Unknown to You, there is certainly nothing wrong with Viscount Linley and Lady Sarah Chato. I think their mother would have had a few choice words if she had attracted the same condemnation you have.
orbix
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 05:16 PMIf the stuff was cheap enough there would be no system to abuse. If its a financial incentive to give up, which is what the government keep telling us, why is the treatment to give up so expensive, deterring folk from trying. If some one can't afford cigarettes then the hit em where it hurts scheme is working, hence they turn to the ceasation service who are then turning people away instead of working with them. My relative battled for two to three months but is so addicted having smoked for 30 years or so but is being refused another attempt, yes the financial incentive is a big factor in wanting to stop thats the whole idea isn't it?
Honesty
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 04:05 PMOrbix #47 - It is abusing the system if someone wants to save money for a month or two so they go on the prescription service - save the money that they want and then carry on smoking thank you very much! Well done to the cessation service for trying target the people who genuinely want to pack in smoking.
orbix
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 02:32 PMgawd my spelling is awful
orbix
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 02:15 PMMy relative says they are just as expensive as cigarettes so there are no incentives to save money by trying to quit outside the smoking cesation service. Perhaps if the treatments were cheaper the people stopping would see the benifits and keep buying the treatments instead of fags and eventually QUIT. Its hard enough to stop without forking out for this stuff, then when failure arrives they end up smoking again 'whats the point they may as well smoke', also this time they will not approach the cesation team again for fear of being refusedtold off or worse being made to feel guilty for failing or accused of misusing the service. sorry rant over.
Wigal
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 01:50 PMSo the word @rse warrants 'pending moderation' does it? Wow.
Wigal
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 01:49 PMPending Moderation
orbix
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 01:37 PMYou are only allowed so many goehes to give up smoking, as the replacement patches and treatments are so expensive. There is also an attitude amongst some of the proffessionals that an attempt to give up smoking is a temporary way of saving money for a while, ie cant afford cigs so use the prescription service for a while and cut costs so there is an attempt to assertain whether the patient is serious about quitting. Trying to support some one who is quitting and has failed and has been told that there are no more chances. Why are the treatments so expensive, and so what if a patient wants to quit to save money for a while, surely any period of quitting even short term is better than nothing.
B. Fletcher
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 09:18 AM"I have lived my life", at 18! What life? So you've been to college, you worked for the NHS, you have qualifications for a chef, and you have enough money. You really are a particularily gifted individual. To squeeze into two years, that which takes considerably longer, is either really impressive or total exaggeration; I suspect it is the latter. You have also lived with your partner since you were 15; and just who condoned this illegal relationship? Of course there are people who have babies at 15 and 16 and this is foolish. However being a couple of years older doesn't make your actions any less foolish. You may think that you have a vast experience of life, but you do not. I do not blame you for that, because when I was 18, I also knew it all as well. Bear this in mind as you get older. When I was your age, many people, who were much older than me, told me lots of things that I passed of as rubbish because I knew better. Now I realise that the majority of it was factual. Good luck with your choices.
Wigal
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 03:55 PMThat is correct! I think she's probably seriously regretting posting that on here - I don't think we'll be hearing from her again. Hopefully she'll go away and have a good think about her priorities in life. Although with 4 weeks to go, she's leaving it too late.
Baron Von Thunderclap
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 03:06 PMNo worries Wigal. I'm just being overdramatic I suppose, although the comments section is often far more entertaining than the story. I have had my fair share of flak on here too. Anyhow, if she'd not posted anything this would have been just another non-story!
Lomra Greener
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 03:00 PMComment 27:- If you read my comment 18 again you will see that I said, "Stopping smoking is not easy, I know first hand". This means that I did use to be a smoker. I was a smoker for more years than you have been alive. I stopped by going cold turkey, and I did not have the incentive that you had. If you want to stop smoking, do it and stop making excuses.
Wigal
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 02:14 PMBaron, apologies mate, it was Trelawney who said it. I'll go and point my finger at the correct person this time! Still though, you really did have a field day with her yourself! Few unnecessarily harsh words there.
Baron Von Thunderclap
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 02:02 PMI've not said anything of the sort!
Wigal
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 01:12 PMAnd also, some of the things you are saying to this girl are bang out of order - way too far. I'm looking at you Baron. Yes you're speaking the truth (albeit a little melodramatic) and yes she needs to hear it, but it's bordering on abuse now. What you've basically said is that you would rather that child be in and out of children's homes, foster carers, adoption, the care system etc purely because her mother smokes 3-5 cigs a day whilst pregnant? I mean come on.
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