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Tobacco Use and Pregnancy: CDC Activities |
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What is CDC doing to reduce tobacco use during the reproductive years?
Since 1987, CDC's Division of Reproductive Health (DRH) has conducted
research and surveillance on tobacco use and pregnancy. DRH collaborates
with researchers from CDC's Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for
Environmental Health, and the National Center for Birth Defects and
Disabilities. The following are highlights of CDC’s work currently being
conducted to address this public health problem.
Multiple analyses of Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System
data
The Pregnancy Risk Assessment
Monitoring System (PRAMS); is a CDC and state health department surveillance
project. PRAMS collects
state-specific, population-based data on maternal attitudes and experiences
before, during, and shortly after pregnancy. Currently, PRAMS covers 80% of
all U.S. live births in 37 states, New York City, and the South
Dakota Tribal-State collaborative project. PRAMS includes information about
tobacco use, smoking cessation, and smoking regulations that may have an impact on
infant and maternal outcomes.
Smokeless tobacco use in Alaska
Smokeless tobacco use, including commercial chew and iqmik (a homemade
smokeless tobacco product mixed with ash), is highly prevalent among Alaska
Natives. The ash increases the amount of free nicotine available for
absorption, potentially making this product more addictive than commercial
products. In some areas, smokeless tobacco use exceeds 60% among pregnant
women. Little is known about potential adverse effects of smokeless tobacco
on women and infants. A number of studies are being conducted to understand
this unique problem on pregnancy. The results of these studies will be
used to develop public health messages for Alaska Natives.
Tobacco exposure
during pregnancy in low and middle income countries: establishing research
priorities
In many
countries, particularly low and middle income countries,
the burden from tobacco is growing, and little is known about pregnant women's
use of cigarettes and non-cigarette tobacco products, and
prevalence of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). CDC's Division
of Reproductive Health (DRH), in collaboration with the
Global Network for
Perinatal and Reproductive Health (GNPRH)*
and the
Tobacco Control Research
Branch of the U.S. National Cancer Institute,
convened an expert meeting in 2008 to develop a research agenda focused on
helping reduce tobacco use and environmental tobacco exposure by pregnant women
around the world. The group is disseminating
the research agenda to the scientific community and implementing specific
research projects and interventions.
Evaluating state quit-lines
to help pregnant and postpartum smokers to quit
Telephone-based counseling
via tobacco quit-lines has proven to be an effective
method
for
delivering cessation counseling among the general adult population.
Because quit-lines are now available in all 50 states,
quit-lines have the potential of reaching diverse populations. In FY 2009,
CDC's Division of Reproductive Health (DRH) and CDC's Office of Smoking and
Heath (OSH)
are
co-funding 3 states to evaluate the referral
patterns and use of quit-lines
among pregnant women and their health care providers. The results of the
evaluation may help to develop several clinic-based models for promoting and
referring quit-lines
to pregnant and postpartum smokers.
Health and economic consequences of prenatal smoking
The health effects of prenatal smoking on the mother and infant are well
known. Previous estimates of the smoking attributable neonatal costs exceed
$350 million nationally more than $700 per mother (1996 dollars). Maternal
and Child Health SAMMEC (Smoking
Attributable Mortality, Morbidity, and Economic Costs) can be used to
estimate the disease impact of smoking among pregnant women in the United
States, individual states, and other large populations. The disease impact
of smoking refers to the health and health–related economic consequences of
smoking, including smoking–attributable infant deaths, and excess health care
expenditures. These measures help public health researchers and policymakers
quantify the adverse effects of cigarette smoking. CDC is currently updating
the smoking attributable costs based on 2001/2002
Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data and 2003 state
birth certificates.
Cooperative agreement with the Association of Maternal and Child Health
Programs (AMCHP)
CDC supports a
cooperative agreement with the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP)* to support prenatal smoking cessation
programs in states. AMCHP’s members consist of all State Maternal and Child
Health (MCH) program directors and their staff. AMCHP is partnering with the
American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists (ACOG)* and the
Planned Parenthood Federation of
America (PPFA)* to strengthen knowledge, partnerships, and capacity
among state MCH and tobacco professionals, OB–GYNs, and community clinicians
about effective tobacco programs for women of reproductive age.
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Links to non-Federal organizations found at this site are provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at these links.
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Page last reviewed: 9/29/08
Page last modified: 9/29/08
Content source:
Division of Reproductive Health,
National Center for Chronic
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion |
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