Pregnant women should take 'smoking test': what do you think?

That has been debunked. "But it was criticised last night by charities, which said earlier research clearly linked smoking with an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth and cot death, as well as breathing problems."

I'm a child of a smoking mother. I would say I was unharmed by it. There are probably more of us on here too.

But that isn't the question her, this debate is about trust, trust between a MW and and expectant mum. Not about the rights and wrongs of smoking during pregnancy, it is a widely known fact that you should not smoke when pregnant. For varying reasons some women don't/can't give up.

There is never a stupid question. Only a stupid answer. That's what my university lecturers used to tell me.

No but for some women smoking cannot be given up.

www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-514330/Smoking-months-pregnancy-does-harm-baby.html

I don't have access to health databases but it is written about in the daily fail there.

Or you can back up your fake statistics with evidence.

That's a stupid question Frebbie. I won't dignify it with an answer.

"treatment of pregnant mothers who smoke" - with or without their full and informed consent Futterby?

If you work in health and know so much you'll be able to look them up won't you!

You don't understand what I'm saying. Formula can be vital for some babies health. Smoking isn't.

You going to ban formula? It causes infant deaths? No, because formula is actually just vital for some babies to prevent their deaths and because the risks of using it can be reduced by the user, just like smoking.

What studies?

I live in the Scottish countryside, not that it's any of your business. You can't back up your stats and you don't know what treatment is available on the NHS. I'm a student nurse within the NHS and I've been involved with the treatment of pregnant mothers who smoke so I'm not sure where you're getting your information.

Studies have found that if you give up by month five the risks reduce to zero.

Yes, I am telling you that if numbers of women smoking in pregnancy are that high logically most of their babies are born healthy because the vast majority of babies are born healthy here.

Arguably feeding formula from birth is more risky than smoking even heavily until month five and then giving up.

Flutterby - there isn't a simple solution. What will this notion of NICE's achieve that can't be achieved already?

What am I uneducated about exactly? You want me to agree that even smoking one cigarette a month in pregnancy makes you a terrible selfish mother? Well I hope you don't live in london or another polluted inner city then because just breathing is a risk.

That article just shows the statistics of mothers who smoked, not the percentage of babies harmed by it.

There is treatment available on the NHS... it appears that you are rather uneducated on the subject. I do understand that some women will not be able to quit but I also believe that more expectant mothers should make the effort.

m.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17056866 that's a better and more recent breakdown of the figures.

Smoking is a recognised addiction. It is physically addictive, that fact that there is treatment available on the NHS should indicate how difficult it is to quit and I don't think it is particularly difficult to imagine that women who have other complex needs might not be able to also quit and that they could do without your smug judgement of them. It is great that you managed to give up completely though, well done for that, just please think a little about other people who might not be so fortunate.

Where are your statistics coming from? Because I'm inclined to disbelieve them without proof.

Futterby - it is just a logical fact that if 1 in 5 pregnant women smoke then most of their babies are ok.

No-one is trying to argue in favour of smoking, just for a sensible and supportive approach not this policing one.

So get help with them. Don't just continue to harm your baby.

Frebbie, like I said, some things are unavoidable. Smoking is not one of them.

So, Futterby, you never crossed a road, got in a car, or used public transport, or any of the millions of other things that have a risk to the baby when you were pregnant?

' But while a woman is pregnant I think that she should take the best care of herself possible and I don't see why she wouldn't.'

Because she has addiction problems, because she doesn't have access to education or resources. Pressuring her into senseless tests that presume she's also a liar help no one.