[Individually tailored medical counseling for pregnant smokers]

To identify the characteristics of smoking addiction in a group of pregnant women, to evaluate the efficacy of medical counseling tailored to the patient's stage in the cessation process and to examine factors that might affect the ability of a woman to quit smoking during pregnancy.

One hundred sixteen women (mean age 29.71 5.44 years; range 15-41) were referred by obstetricians to a respiratory medicine specialist if they continued smoking after being advised to quit. The information each woman received was appropriate to her stage in the cessation process and covered the risks that smoking posed for her child and the benefits that would come from quitting. Each woman was provided with guidelines for quitting and helped to choose the first day to start the cessation process. The women received follow-up counseling sessions after the first and third months.

Twenty-seven women (23.3%) quit smoking, 18 (15.52%) advanced a stage in the cessation process and 30 (25.86%) smoked less. Overall, the program benefited 60 women (51.7%) who quit smoking, reduced the number of cigarettes they smoked or progressed to a new stage.

The results reveal that most pregnant smokers need the intervention of specialists with knowledge of smoking addiction to facilitate the cessation process.