to think testing pregnant women to check if they're smoking is a stupid idea

[thegriffon]

Independent article.
This really can't have been thought through. Imagine conversation at AN appointment.
MW "Do you smoke?"
Pregnant woman "No".
MW "I don't believe you, please breathe into this machine."
Pregnant woman "Piss off".

No I'm not stupid Tee. But thanks for that! It was 14 years ago and i was young and to be honest I don't really think I did know or want to think about all the risks.

A trip to nicu would have opened my eyes and made me think.

Also sometimes being blunt and honest is needed. What you're doing is horrible and selfish and you may cause huge damage to your baby?!

I'm not convinced by making someone do a test, but I am convinced by being brutally honest to pregnant smokers.

But the whole point of the MW/mother relationship is that it is supportive. If a woman chooses to smoke throughout her pregnancy that is her choice. Obviously MWs have a duty to explain the risks and offer support to stop smoking but it is certainly not our job to harangue them.

And is there any suggestion that will change? I doubt very much a MW wil be required to pinch the woman's nose until she breathes into the tube :o

Why does everyone get so hysterical about something that is unlikely to happen. "should" be tested isn't the same as "will be" - nothing on the NHS is compulsory. No one forces you to have blood tests, urine tests, amniocentisis, neuchal fold scan or anything when you are pregnant.

Guidelines are just that, not the law.

steps off soap box

But that message is already everywhere tickle.

I would tell them that I smoke (I don't) let them test and then they can think their machine is broken so won't hassle other woman.

nokids saying "no" does not cause me to expend a great amount of energy.

Can you not understand that some people have an issue with this because pregnant women are already asked if they smoke and offered help to stop if they want it. If the question has been asked, the only possible reason for inviting the woman to take this test is that she is disbelieved. It's offensive.

If one in five women was using heroin in the UK, and research had flagged up that there was a significantly high level of non-disclosure (which I think there is with smoking), then you'd all be arguing for routine drug testing for every pregnant woman.

Smoking can have very serious implications for the health of babies in the womb and in later life. They really need to have an accurate record of smoking rates to do reliable health research.

Women who smoke are not 'free' to stop, otherwise almost all of them would do.

How many women are that irresponsible that they would freely and happily choose to do something they could easily stop doing, when they know it puts their baby's life and health at risk?

Women smoke during pregnancy because they are ADDICTED.

It gets worse - I wondered if the media were putting their own spin on it so went to the Nice Guidelines. There was no suggestion that women would lie about smoking, just that they might not know whether they smoked or not baby brain perhaps? It said "...women should be encouraged to have their carbon monoxide levels tested to determine whether they smoked."

I had this a few weeks ago at my booking in appointment, I was quite shocked, never had this with my daughter a few years ago.

She said that the device can also help detect any fault appliances in the home... it probably could but I couldn't help but think the main reason was to catch you out for smoking?!

I do think its a huge waste of money.

I think the NHS should contact Alan Carr because that man work wonders.

All smokers know the risk of smoking but do so any way, telling people who smoke the risks and Heath problems is not helpful.

What pregnant women need is help quitting

I'm curious to understand the reasons behind this.

I can see the benefit of monitoring co levels regularly during pregnancy for those who do smoke but what benefit does testing initially offer that a conversation between a patient and a health professional doesn't?

If a woman who smokes wishes to hide that fact surely she will just decline the test and still not access the services designed to help her. Testing everyone only seems to check the validity of their answers.

I'm all for tests but not just testing for testings sake.

I work for a Stop Smoking Service and have really mixed feelings about this. I suppose I have concerns that the same women who do not admit to smoking in pregnancy will miss antenatal appointments, or will feel that their relationship with their midwife is damaged. I suppose that smoking in pregnancy will become even more stigmatised.

as for the mechanics of it, any woman can opt out. Nobody will be forced to take a test, as with all antenatal tests and screening opportunities.

Regarding the oft-quoted 'Pregnant women know smoking is bad' line: that is not always true. Women come through our service with a lot of misconceptions about smoking, along the lines of 'My mum smoked with me and it didn't do my any harm' or 'the smoke doesn't go to my baby as it only goes in my lungs', and many pregnant women think they will have an easier birth if they smoke, as the baby will be lighter.

For these women, a frank discussion about the effects of smoking can be a real eye-opener. Additionally, only 10% of people wanting to give up smoking know how to access stop smoking services, where their chance of giving up smoking is increased by 4X.

On a personal note, i was able to give up smoking when I found out I was pregnant with my first (unplanned) child and never looked back. But I recognise not everyone can do this. My DSis really struggledto give up smoking in her pregnancy and didn't get a lot of support from her midwife

When I had this test whilst pregnant I got a reading of zero. The midwife said its unusual as there is normally a trace of CO because of traffic fumes, pollution etc. She also said that one woman's levels that were particularly high (non-smoker) realised her boiler was on the blink and her whole family were lucky not to become seriously ill. I don't think it's such a bad thing if it can save people's lives. If you don't want the test, fine - refuse it, but I don't think it's any more invasive than testing for HIV/STDs (which they also do when you are pregnant with your 'collected' blood.

Women who are known previous heroin users and are flagged up under Child Protection, are drug tested during pregnancy. There are very few hard drug using pregnant women that are not known, because of the effect that Heroin/Crack has on appearance etc and there is a specialist anti-natal system in place for those women. For all other drugs, Cocaine, Weed, Speed etc, there is a high rate of non disclosure, so unless full drug testing was done, we would never know if a baby has been born low birth weight and ended up in SCBU because of smoking, alone. Baby's can be drug tested without their parents consent, as part of other tests, unless there is a clinical need to target smokers in this way, to start a new category for child protection, which I don't think is right, when Nicotine is a legal drug, then this guideline pointless. There is enough information around about stopping smoking services.

There is a good clinical reason for testing for HIV/STI's, though and a women will not know if she is positive and both can be killer diseases, or at least disabling, unlike smoking, which you cannot do unaware.

There is a good clinical reason for testing for HIV/STI's, though and a women will not know if she is positive and both can be killer diseases, or at least disabling, unlike smoking, which you cannot do unaware.

I think the NHS should contact Alan Carr because that man work wonders.

Yeah but how much would a psychic medium cost?

Surely it's a fairly pointless thing to do - if a woman is a smoker either she'll admit to it or not and if she wants to stop she'll try but if she doens't she won't. I can't see how testing someone is going to help or stop them smoking etc.

As far as I know a woman's body still belongs to her during pregnancy. It's up to her if she decides to do things that are advised against during pregnancy, smoking included. I assume that giving a leaflet detailing the dangers of smoking during pregnancy would be enough of a deterrent to anyone who is in any doubt of how bad it actually is. And if they choose to ignore advice I don't think testing their breath will make any difference.

This is awful, I'd be totally pissed off if they wanted to test me as a non smoker. It just makes out pregnant women can't be trusted.

I had something similar years ago. Not when I was pregnant but when dd2 was a baby she was hospitalised with Bronchilitis and then had recurring chest infections. At every doctor's appointment I was asked if DH or I smoked, (No). And was then given a disbelieving look, and the doctor would say, "Are you sure?" Actually no I'm not sure, maybe I smoke in my sleep! It turns out it was the old damp and moldy house we were living in at the time. And the chest infections stopped at 19 months old when we moved house. But FFS they treat you like a bloody liar!

the only time I can see this being of benefit is as part of smoking cessation support - we've been trialling it as part of an incentive scheme for smokers for some time, and people seem to appreciate seeing their readings coming down/staying low. I can't see any purpose in testing as part of regular antenatal care