Background: Approximately 22% of women continue smoking during pregnancy in the Hunter New England area. Smoking during pregnancy is associated with adverse health outcomes for women and their babies. Smoke-Free Families (SFF) is a pilot program that encompasses a collaborative partnership between Hunter New England Population Health and Child and Maternal Services. One aspect of SFF includes an intervention to increase best practice smoking care in an antenatal clinic setting.

Method: A 13 month intervention was implemented in the antenatal clinic of a major teaching hospital. Intervention strategies included best-practice screening, amendments to databases and forms, prompts and staff training. Change in clinical practice and in smoking behaviour was measured by an audit medical records of women who attended the clinic five months prior to intervention (baseline, n=200), and 15 months after intervention commencement (follow-up, n=200).

Results: Data collection is nearing completion. Clinical practice outcomes to be presented will include change in assessment of nicotine dependence, advice and counselling to quit, and referral to further assistance. The proportion of women who ceased smoking will also be presented.

Conclusions: Findings of this study will inform whether a multi-component intervention in an antenatal clinic setting can increase smoking care provision, and increase smoking cessation during pregnancy.

Implications: If the intervention is found to positively impact on the smoking cessation care provided and smoking cessation of pregnant women, the screening tools, care protocols and organisational changes strategies developed for implementation have the potential to be integrated into hospital-based antenatal care more widely.