Friday, 7 September 2007 - 9:45 AM
302

GP/Midwife Response To Pregnant Women Who Smoke

Marewa Glover, PhD, Auckland Tobacco Control Research Centre, School of Population Health University of Auckland, 261 Morrin Road, Glen Innes, Auckland, New Zealand, Kay Kristensen, PGDipPsyc(Comm), 'girls on coffee' the research evaluation group, 92 French Pass Road, Cambridge, New Zealand, Chris Bullen, MBChB, FAFPHM, Clinical Trials Research Unit, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019 Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand, and Janine Paynter, PhD, Action on Smoking and Health New Zealand (ASH NZ), 27 Gillies Ave, Newmarket, New Zealand.

Background: Smoking during pregnancy has detrimental effects on the fetus, pregnancy and long term on the child. Pregnancy offers a unique opportunity to help women stop smoking due to increased motivation and regular contact. Despite this, around 13% of non-Maori and 39% of Maori women in New Zealand smoke during pregnancy.

Method: This research aimed to identify messages General Medical Practitioners (GPs) and Midwives deliver to pregnant women who smoke; their of knowledge of cessation methods; and cessation support they offer . A random sample of New Zealand's GPs and midwives was surveyed by postal questionnaire in late 2006.

Results: The response rate was 45.5% (149/378 (39.4%) GPs and 204/357 (57%) midwives). Almost all GPs confirmed their involvement in confirming pregnancy during the first trimester vs only 55% of midwives. There was high reported routine recording of smoking status, almost all participants thought it was consistent with their role to ask about smoking in pregnancy, discuss the effects of smoking and ask if smokers wanted to quit. Whilst 71% GPs usually advise pregnant smokers to quit altogether only 11% of midwives do this. Over 60% participants usually provide cessation counselling to pregnant women. Recommendation of intermittent forms of NRT was low.

Conclusions: GPs have an important role to play in advising pregnant smokers to quit.

Implications: Training for GPs and Midwives needs to improve knowledge of effective cessation for pregnant smokers.


See more of Cessation and Pregnancy
See more of The 2007 Oceania Tobacco Control Conference (4-7 September)