There has been a steady decrease in the number of women who smoke while pregnant during the last 15 years. This is partly due to an overall decline in smoking rates among all women of childbearing age and partly due to interventions targeting women during the prenatal period. However, while many women quit smoking during pregnancy to protect their unborn children from the effects of tobacco, more than half will resume smoking within a few months of giving birth. 1 The negative health effects caused by smoking and inhaling second hand smoke are well known. Women who smoke before, during.
