Smoking During Pregnancy Increased

The percentage of women who smoke while pregnant has gone up in some Northern Kentucky counties even though the rates are falling across the state and nationwide. Between 2005 and 2009, the percentage of women who smoke while pregnant increased from 34 percent to 39 percent in Grant County and from 18 percent to 19 percent in Boone County. Among the counties served by the Northern Kentucky Independent District Health Department, only Campbell County showed a decrease during the reporting period, from 32 percent to 24 percent. In Kenton County, the percentage remained the same, at 30 percent. The risks of smoking during pregnancy are well-documented. Premature delivery, low birth weight and higher incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome are just some of the dangers linked to smoking while pregnant. Despite the wealth of information about these risks, 24 percent of expectant mothers in Kentucky still smoke during pregnancy, which is almost three times the national average of 9 percent. Dr. Lynne Saddler, Northern Kentucky District Director of Health, attributes the high rate, in part, to an inherent acceptance of smoking in this region. “It goes back to the culture of climate that we live in here in Kentucky,” Saddler said. “We know smoking rates are high here and 30 percent of women of childbearing age are smokers. We also know how hard it is to quit smoking, so when you put all of that together, you have what we are dealing with.” Stephanie Vogel, interim health promotion administrator for the health district, said there are other reasons it is difficult for women to quit smoking during pregnancy. “Part of the reason is that there are limited programs and efforts to be able to help pregnant women quit smoking,” she said. “We have not really a lot o f research behind what programs work for pregnant women.” Ideally, Vogel said, women of child-bearing age would focus on quitting before becoming pregnant.