CHARLESTON, W.Va. — It’s a startling statistic, given all the information out there, that 26 percent of the state’s pregnant women continue to smoke.
“It’s a rate that’s almost three times the national average,” said Margie Hale with West Virginia Kids Count.
Hale’s group released it’s latest report Tuesday, focusing on the national rate of smoking during pregnancy and measures being taken to reduce the numbers.
Hale said it’s difficult to quit smoking even when women are not under the strain of caring for a baby on the way. She said that’s one reason why more than one in four pregnant women in West Virginia continue to smoke even after learning they are expecting.
Another reason might be family precedent.
“A lot of people who smoke (during pregnancy), their mothers smoked and because nothing happened to them, they just don’t see the real danger,” Hale said.
Kids Count emphasizes the harsh developmental impact on a baby born to a smoking mother.
“There’s sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and low birth rate. Those are serious risks,” Hale said. “Premature births, birth defects, colic, asthma, attention deficit disorder (ADD) and obesity.”
In the past 20 years, the rate of pregnant women who smoke in West Virginia has barely changed. Hale said it’s time to change that.
The state offers the West Virginia Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW and will soon begin a new prenatal study called “Smoking Cessation in Pregnancy Project: Moving the Needle.”
“It will try out more comprehensive solutions to reduce smoking and bring people together who are working with pregnant women who can talk to each other,” Hale said.
To find out more about the Kids Count report, visit KidsCount.org.