The Friends of St Mary’s Hospital are helping to encourage smoke-free pregnancies on the Isle of Wight by spending £3,653 on 20 micro smokerlyzers.
Carbon monoxide (CO) levels are raised in smokers, and CO monitors are used to assess these levels in pregnant women when they are booked in. Certain CO levels can indicate exposure to cigarette smoke or to environmental CO. Readings can then support smoking cessation and/or health messages.
Elinor Jenkins, Reducing Smoking Pregnancy Support worker, said around 15% of pregnant women smoke. She said:
“It is a significant health risk for these women and unborn babies. It increases the risk of stillbirth, premature labour, and miscarriage, and slowed foetal growth”.
Should be illegal to smoke while pregnant… the mothers obviously don’t give a dam about the baby, disgusting!
Fear not, these aren’t mothers, but muvvers. Sadly it is likely their children will grow up on dope anyway.