Smoking Cessation Strategies in Pregnancy: Current Concepts And Controversies.

We describe the findings of key published studies, review papers and expert statements to report the efficacy and safety of strategies for smoking cessation in pregnancy, including counseling and pharmacotherapy. Counseling appears to improve quit rates, but mainly when used in combination with pharmacological therapy. Pharmacotherapy is recommended for women who are heavy smokers and are unable to quit on their own. Nicotine replacement therapy is a reasonable first-line drug option. It is recommended that women who are pregnant, or planning to become pregnant, should be informed of potential risks for the fetus before considering smoking cessation therapy with bupropion or varenicline. Pregnant women view electronic nicotine delivery systems as being safer than combustible cigarettes, and this indeed may be the case; however, further evidence is required to assess their effectiveness as a smoking cessation aid as well as their safety for the mother and the child. Postpartum relapse is a significant problem, with about one out of two quitters relapsing in the first two months after delivery. These women should be considered "at risk" and provided with ongoing support. PMID: 30296484 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Hellenic Journal of Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Tags: Hellenic J Cardiol Source Type: research