Campaign to save babies' lives sees fewer women in Wigan smoking during pregnancy

According to NHS Digital, fewer than eight in 100 women (7.7 per cent of all maternities) in Greater Manchester smoked during pregnancy between April 2023 to March 2024.

In NHS Wigan Borough area, that figure is slightly higher (8.8 per cent of all maternities), but is still a significant drop on where it was previously.

The new figures bring Greater Manchester closer to the England average of 7.4 per cent and the national ambition set by NHS England of six per cent or less.

The significant reduction is attributed to Greater Manchester’s Smokefree Pregnancy programme, a key component of Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership’s regional tobacco control strategy to make smoking history.

Over the past six years, the Greater Manchester Smokefree Pregnancy programme has supported more than 6,000 pregnant women and their partners to quit smoking, and its success has been praised by England’s Chief Medical Officer, Prof Chris Whitty, leading health charities and maternity experts around the country.

New-mum, Sameera (not her real name) said: “I wanted to stop smoking so that I could give my baby the healthiest start possible, but it wasn’t easy.

“The support was a huge help. They gave me nicotine replacement products like gum and patches to help me fight my cravings and I had invaluable one-to-one support.

“I felt comfortable talking to my advisor, and she was a shoulder to lean on throughout my pregnancy. She was always there to listen and give me advice without judgement. It takes a lot of willpower to stop smoking and my advice to other expectant mothers would be to do your best by your baby – that’s all you can do.”

Jane Pilkington, Director of Population Health at NHS Greater Manchester said: “We are thrilled to see such a substantial decrease in smoking at time of delivery. This progress reflects the dedication of our team, healthcare providers, and, most importantly, the women who choose to quit smoking for their health and their babies' health. We will continue to strive for a future where every pregnancy in Greater Manchester is smokefree.”