As we all know by now, quitting smoking is the very best gift you can give your baby. Not only will you help ensure he has a mother to grow up with, you will be helping his health. Smoking is linked to a wide range of problems, both during the pregnancy and after the baby is born.
However, quitting smoking is extremely difficult. Many experts compare nicotine addiction to addiction to heroine. It is that addictive. As a former smoker, I completely agree with that statement. One method some people use successfully to help quit is nicotine replacement therapy.
Nicotine replacement therapy refers to various gums, patches and lozenges sold on the market to help people quit smoking. These products contain nicotine, although in much smaller amounts than the typical smoker ingests via cigarette smoke in a day. The biggest benefit of these products is a reduction in the cravings, bad mood and stress associated with nicotine withdrawal.
Pregnancy is a stressful time and many women can’t get past these physical symptoms of nicotine withdrawal long enough to make it. According to the American Lung Association, eleven percent of pregnant women smoke. This number may be low, considering some women hide the fact that they smoke from their health care providers.
For these women, nicotine replacement therapy may be helpful in their quest to kick the habit. But, are these products safe to use during pregnancy? Experts have expressed a range of opinions on this subject. A new Danish study may shed some light on the safety of nicotine replacement therapy during pregnancy.
The study looked at 87,032 pregnancies for the study; some were smokers and some did not smoke at all. Two percent of the women were using some form of nicotine replacement therapy in order to quit smoking. The researchers looked at the rate of stillbirth in the group using the nicotine replacement therapy compared to the other group.
They actually found that the rate of still birth was lower in the group using the nicotine replacement therapy. The group using nicotine replacement therapy had a stillbirth rate of 4.7 per 1000, while the group not using the products had a rate of stillbirth of 5.2 per 1000.
Since stillbirth is one of the complications associated with smoking during pregnancy, this number is significant. In addition, the study found no other adverse affects on the baby when mom was using nicotine replacement therapy products.
Researchers believe the use of these products may be safe for some women. Particularly if they would only continue smoking without them. The researchers conducting the study suggested the best results were found when use of these products was combined with some type of behavior modification program.
Whether these products are safe for all pregnant women is something that must be determined by that woman and her health care provider. Certain health factors and other risk factors need to be considered. For this reason, don’t use any nicotine replacement therapy or other smoking cessation product without checking with your health care provider. Your midwife or doctor knows your health history and is the best resource for determining what methods of smoking cessation are safe and effective for you.
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