Cigarette smoking in pregnancy

1. One in three women still continue to smoke in pregnancy. 2. The government target of reducing the numbers of pregnant women who smoke by they year 2000 is at least a third. 3. Midwives are ideally placed to offer support to women who smoke in the antenatal period. 4. A multidisciplinary approach has been shown to be effective, backed up by leaflets, a helpline or contact number, and one to one counselling. 5. Midwives need appropriate skills and expertise to enable them to give effective smoking cessation advice.