MOST people know smoking is bad for their health. It becomes a whole lot worse if the woman who is smoking is pregnant.

The Colchester and Tendring areas have a higher than average rate of women smoking in pregnancy.

Between April and June this year the figures actually went up.

But there is help available, as Sarah Leach explained: “Women who smoke when they are pregnant often feel they are on the receiving end of people’s judgements. But someone is not going to take on board support if they are being judged. They need to feel empowered and confident to do so.”

Pregnancy Health Month this month seems like the perfect time for pregnant women thinking about it, to take the steps to give up smoking.

This is where Cornerstone, the health centre in St Isaac’s Walk, Colchester comes in.

As a specialist stop smoking in pregnancy adviser, Sarah, a former midwife said there was free support for everyone, including pregnant women for as long as they wanted it.

As well as the free stop smoking service, pregnant women are entitled to free prescriptions and dental health check ups, which both help towards pregnant women leading a healthy lifestyle.

The overall dangers of puffing away are well advertised, but apart from the horrific impact on adults’ lungs and the links with cancer, smoking while pregnant can lead the baby to grow up with increased chances of developing asthma and diabetes.

Sarah explained the reason it was so bad for the growing baby is because when a mum-to-be smoked, it reduced the amount of oxygen getting to the baby.

When the mum takes in smoke she may think she is also breathing in oxygen, but because cigarettes contain carbon monoxide, this poisonous gas reaches the lungs quicker than the oxygen does.

The baby, whose heart is already beating 110 to 160 beats per minute, is trying to get as much oxygen as possible from the mum so it can grow. If the mum is smoking, her oxygen levels go down and the carbon monoxide reaches the baby a lot quicker than the oxygen in her system. As a result the baby’s heart has to beat faster to get the oxygen around its body.

Babies born to mums who smoke are widely known to be smaller at birth, by about 500g. Sarah said this fact can be misunderstood by smoking mums-to-be.

She explained: “A lot of mums think if they have a small baby it’s a good thing because they will only have to push a small baby out at birth. But the risks are great. Its heart has to beat faster, the smoking affects its kidneys and vital organs and may not be as well developed as it should be. This smaller baby will probably not be as well equipped to handle the trauma of birth and is more likely to be distressed, more intervention may be needed and the woman may need a caesarean.

“The women do not think about the fact they may need major abdominal surgery, a blood transfusion or that her baby may need a stay in the special care baby unit because they can’t breathe.”

These are frightening facts, but Sarah said as soon as a pregnant woman stopped smoking the risks were immediately reduced, because the level of carbon monoxide dropped.

Sarah maintains evidence shows it is perfectly safe for pregnant women to use nicotine replacement therapy, such as patches and gum, to wean them off smoking Smoke from partners, family and friends of the pregnant woman’ will affect the baby, in the same way passive smoking affects adults.

Sarah said: “There’s information to suggest it has an effect on the baby’s DNA and its likelihood of developing illnesses later in life such as diabetes and asthma.” Out of all the mums who visit Sarah and her team, between 30 to 40 per cent succeed in giving up smoking. Women can call the centre themselves if they decide they want some support, or be referred by their GPs or midwives.

Pregnancy is an exciting time for most women and there are plenty of guidelines and advice on how women can reduce risks to their babies – what to eat, what not to eat, whether to exercise and how much – but one bit of advice has always remained constant.

“Smoking is harmful to babies,” added Sarah.

l Call North East Essex Stop Smoking Service on on 0800 7312656.