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NEWS HOMEPAGE Pregnant teenagers are taking up smoking in the hope of having smaller babies so that childbirth is less painful, a Government minister warned. Labour's public health minister Caroline Flint made the extraordinary claim after discussions with health professionals and young mothers. Miss Flint warned women that the practice was futile because the commonly-held idea that giving birth to a large baby is more painful is a myth. "It is important that we understand what stops young women making healthy choices so we can provide the right answers to their concerns," she said. "In this case, childbirth is no less painful if your baby is low weight. The Health Department said Miss Flint has heard about the practice "anecdotally from health professionals and young women she has met". Official advice is that women should not smoke at all during pregnancy. It is known that babies of smokers are more likely to be miscarried or born underweight, and more likely to suffer future health problems. Research suggests women who smoke are less likely to carry their babies to full term and there is a 26 per cent increased risk that they will miscarry or experience a stillbirth. Babies of smoking mothers are an average 7 oz lighter at birth. Despite years of anti-smoking initiatives targeting expectant mothers, the number of pregnant smokers has remained high. Figures show that one in ten women continue to smoke when they are pregnant. Around 400 babies a year die in the womb or shortly after being born directly because of their mother's nicotine habit. Women aged 20 or under were more likely to smoke before or during pregnancy than those aged 35 and over. Royal College of Midwives expert Gail Johnson said there was no evidence that having a smaller baby reduced pain in labour. "Midwives are a vital key to advise women about smoking, diet and lifestyle - issues which are important for the health of the woman and her baby but also impact on the wider public health of families," she said. "Many midwives offer classes designed specifically to meet the needs of teenagers and challenge their peer group chats about keeping down their weight by smoking rather than healthy eating and exercise. "Midwives know how important it is to support pregnant women and they can link with other support agencies to provide advice on smoking cessation. "It is vital that the risks associated with smoking are highlighted and that women are then supported to make changes to their lifestyle but the RCM is very clear that there is no evidence that the size of the baby relates to the amount of pain the woman may experience." Baby charity Tommy's said any mother who smoked during pregnancy was putting her child at unnecessary risk. Spokesman Charlotte Davies said: "Much research has shown that women who smoke during pregnancy give birth to babies on average 7oz lighter than those born to those who don't. "Worryingly, many women are seeing this as a reason to smoke whilst pregnant, as they believe the myth that the lower the birth weight of the baby, the lower the pain level experienced during labour. "However, there is no evidence to show that the level of pain during labour and the weight of the baby are related. "Therefore women, not just teenagers, who continue to smoke during pregnancy are putting the health of their baby at unnecessary risk, as smoking is the biggest preventable cause of low birth weight babies in the UK. "Much research has shown that mothers who smoke during pregnancy are at an increased risk of miscarriage and stillbirth, and that low birth weight babies are more likely to suffer respiratory illness, which can often last into adulthood."
view all to read all comments that readers have sent in. Teens must already have brain damage from their own gestation if they think this is a brilliant idea. Hey, the cigarette epidural worked for their mothers, it's gonna work for them, right? "Miss Flint has heard about the practice "anecdotally"" So the only source for this is a politician who is playing it up to the populace?
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