(Little Rock, Ark.) - A new analysis by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that smoking by the mother in the first trimester was associated with a 20 to 70 percent greater likelihood that a baby would be born with certain types of heart defects.
A congenital heart defect is a deformation in one or more parts of the heart or blood vessels that form while the fetus is developing in the uterus. Congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defects, contributing to approximately 30 percent of infant deaths from birth defects each year.
"One of the agency's top priorities is to reduce Arkansas's infant death rate," said Dr. Paul Halverson, director and state health officer for the Arkansas Department of Health. "We are working diligently to inform Arkansans that quitting is one of the most important choices a woman can make for the health of her unborn child."
The Baltimore-Washington Infant Study is based on a large population-based, case-control study of congenital heart defects consisting of 2,525 case and 3,435 control infants born between 1981 and 1989.
"When a woman is pregnant, her choices affect not just her body, but also the one growing inside her," said Dr. Carolyn Dresler, director of Arkansas Department of Health's Tobacco Prevention and Cessation program. "In addition to congenital heart defects, smoking during pregnancy greatly increases the chance that a child will develop future health problems such as chest colds, coughs, ear infections and more."
Women who are pregnant and smoke are urged to call the Arkansas Tobacco Quitline - one of the most effective free tools for helping tobacco users quit and stay quit. Each woman receives 10 personalized, supportive sessions with a QuitCoach© during and after her pregnancy.
Counseling sessions may consist of topics such as setting a quit date, preparing a tobacco-free environment for the baby and staying quit. A pregnant woman can also receive medications such as gum and patches with a doctor's prescription.
The Arkansas Tobacco Quitline can be reached by calling 1-800-Quit-Now, or by visiting www.healthy.arkansas.gov or www.stampoutsmoking.com.
(Source: Arkansas Department of Health)