Should pregnant women be banned from smoking in light of new research?

[hunkermunker]

See here

"Nine out of 10 mothers whose babies suffered cot death smoked during pregnancy, according to a scientific study to be published this week. The study, thought to be one of the most authoritative to date on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), says women who smoke during pregnancy are four times more likely than non-smokers to see their child fall victim to cot death."

Personally, I find it very, very hard to understand why anybody smokes while knowingly pregnant. And yes, I know it's addictive. I speak as an ex-smoker, not somebody who has no idea what it's like to have a love affair with the evil weed.

I think smoking while pregnant is immensly selfish and stupid but not sure about banning pregnant women from smoking.

I gave up a 30 a day habit as soon as a found out I was pregnant so I know how hard it is.

But how do you enforce it?

It is all about freedom of choice.

As an ex smoker it took me about 4 years to finally 'give up'. The stress at times was just too much and to be told I had to give up by someone, well it wouldn't have worked.

and how exactly would one "ban" them smoking???

I smoked the odd one with DS1 until I was 4 months pg (the temptation to buy a single one from the women selling stuff on the street corner was too great). Then started again when he was 6 months old.

Stopped altogether with DS2 (apart from one box of 10 after DH and I had an almighty row mid pg - felt sick and nauesous afterwards). Started again when he was 5 weeks old.

And despite my very best efforts didn't managed to stop at all with DS3 - although I did manage to cut down dramatically.

I'm not proud at ALL, but tbh I'm not sure you can ban them smoking.

Most smokers are immensely selfish Callisto - they know that their smoke not only offends others but also causes actual harm.

I used to smoke but it was my right I didn't give a flying fuck how the man and his family stood next to me felt, they could always move

How the hell are you going to 'ban' pregnant women from smoking? Are you planning to have them arrested and thrown into our (overcrowed) prisons? Or perhaps have snatch squads of social workers in maternity units, ready to remove newborn babies from their mothers?

I'd be interested to see the actual study and examine the evidence and the statistics. Have they compared smoking prevalence over time? Were cot death rates much higher in the 1970s when smoking was much more prevalent among pregnant women and parents?

There's a very real danger publicity around this will demonise parents of babies who die. Which would be appalling.

People make decisions that may appear 'bad' to you all the time. You can't stop them. All you can do is give people accurate, reliable information.

Just starting the thread, not saying banning is possible or the way forward.

Personally, I'd like women to have an internal ethical threshold that's set a bit higher than "continue to poison my unborn baby cos I'm addicted" but that's just me.

hmmm thank boo - I'm not sure I consider myself selfish. I only smoke outside. I've been known in the past when out with friends (who are non-smokers - and pre the smoking in public places ban) to remove myself from the group and go across the otherside of the pub for a cigarette. And when waiting for buses etc not smoking near where everyone else is waiting (unless they're all smoking too) but walking away from them....I've even been seen (and given odd looks while doing so) staring intently at the smoke to check which way it's blowing to try and stand downwind of non-smokers outside.

Oh shit

Im pregnant and I have just managed to give up, I smoked until the second half of my pregnancy.

Would agree with you that Im an idiot.

Well done for stopping, NTS

yes - i think it should be illegal.

pregnant smokers should be fined on the spot - it makes me sick!

i am an ex-smoker and i just cannot understand how anyone can smoke when pregnant.

it is child abuse and these unborn children have no say in it at all.

if someone spots a pregnant woman smoking then they should alert the police and if they can prove it she should be fined.

new mothers who smoke should be told they are not to smoke in enclosed areas with their children and smoking should be banned from all houses where children live and people should report to the social services or police is they think these parents are smoking in their houses. this includes smoking in your door way, the smokes still fills the house just the same.

yes I'm an idiot too, guess I'm also selfish and stupid as well.

Well, you'll have lots of company in your drive to condemn pregnant women who do anything of which you disapprove, Hunker. There are plenty of people who treat pregnant women as imperfect beings who must be controlled by society. Read 'Policing Pregnancy' by Sheena (or Sheila) Meredith.

yes, totally agree with Lovecloud=

just out of interest - all you ex-smokers - have you ever been addicted to anything else (and I'm not just talking about drugs/alcohol)?? Or, put another way - do you have an addictive personality?

Thanks hunker, just hope its not too little too late.

I think banning is virtually impossible to enforce, but I do agree it is immensely (sp)selfish.

Oh FFS, have you any idea how hard it can be to persuade social services to do something about children who are at imminent risk of immediate, visible harm? They are a tiny bit overstretched, you know.

and I expect that it will become treated as child abuse in years to come )to smoke when pregnant or around children)

saw someone smoking in a car with a young baby the other day - disgusting, wish you could phone the police as I would have done.

The same rule should apply to drug addicts, alcoholics etc. why should these children have to live with this?

there are so many people out there who would do anything to have their own child and seeing people with babies smoking, taking drugs etc must make their stomachs churn.

As a parent you should do whatever it takes to make your child healthy and safe right from the beginning of pregnancy.

sorry that should be "ex-smokers who managed to quit "easily""?