Despite well-documented health risks, some women are still
smoking during pregnancy, particularly younger women, says a new
report released today by the Australian Institute of Health and
Welfare's (AIHW) National Perinatal Statistics Unit.
The report, Smoking and pregnancy, was commissioned by
the National Advisory Group on Smoking and Pregnancy as part of a
national strategy to reduce smoking in pregnancy.
Using data collected from five states and territories (New South
Wales, Western Australia, South Australia, the Australian Capital
Territory and the Northern Territory) the report shows 17.3% of
women who gave birth in 2003 reported having smoked while
pregnant.
'Smoking during pregnancy was most prevalent in teenage mothers
(42.1%) compared to 10.9% of mothers aged 35 years and older,' said
Dr Elizabeth Sullivan, Director of the National Perinatal
Statistics Unit located at the University of New South Wales.
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander mothers in the five
jurisdictions had a much higher smoking rate, with 52.2% reporting
having smoked during pregnancy-over three times the rate among
non-Indigenous mothers.
Pregnant women living in very remote areas had the highest
smoking rate at 38.3%, compared with 14.0% of women living in major
cities reported smoking while pregnant.
The likelihood of preterm birth, at less than 37 weeks
gestation, was 60% higher for babies of mothers who smoked during
pregnancy, than for babies of mothers who did not smoke.
Smoking is a potentially preventable risk factor that is
associated with low birthweight (less than 2,500 grams).
In 2003, the proportion of liveborn, low birthweight babies of
mothers who smoked was 10.6%, about twice that for babies of
mothers who did not smoke. The average birthweight for liveborn
babies of mothers who smoked during pregnancy was lower than that
of mothers who did not smoke (3,181 grams compared with 3,413
grams).
'A key message from this report is that, with approximately one
in six Australian women and one in two Indigenous women smoking
during pregnancy, there is great scope for improving the health of
mothers and babies if these smoking rates can be reduced,' Dr
Sullivan said.
16 August 2006
Further information: Dr Elizabeth Sullivan,
AIHW NPSU, tel. 02 9382 1064.
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel. 61 2 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for availability of the Smoking and
pregnancy report.