All pregnant women should have breath tests for smoking, says NICE

All pregnant women should have breath tests to check whether they have been smoking, according to the health watchdog.

Expectant mothers would be encouraged to take a carbon monoxide test, to make them realise the harm smoke can do to their child, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) proposes. They would have the test at the first antenatal appointment.

Mike Kelly, of NICE, said: “During pregnancy, smoking puts the health of the women and her unborn baby at great risk both in the short and long-term, and small children exposed to second-hand smoke are more likely to suffer from respiratory problems.

“One of our recommendations is for midwives to encourage all pregnant women to have their carbon monoxide levels tested and discuss the results with them. This isn’t to penalise them but will be a useful way to show women that both smoking and passive smoking can lead to having high levels of carbon monoxide in their systems.”

Sue Macdonald, of the Royal College of Midwives, said that health workers should focus on being supportive “rather than making women feel guilty”.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/article2571379.ece

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