Volume 182 - Issue 5
Smoking and pregnancy
Authors: Jessica H Ford and Annette J Dobson
Med J Aust 2005; 182 (5): 251-252. || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2005.tb06682.x
Published online: 7 March 2005
Published online: 7 March 2005
Jessica H Ford,* Annette J Dobson†
* Research Assistant, † Professor of Biostatistics, School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane, QLD 4006. J.FordATsph.uq.edu.au
In reply: We thank Walsh and Lumley for correcting the error in our letter. The 6% reduction in smoking during pregnancy referred to an absolute difference in prevalence of continued smoking in late pregnancy among women who smoked early in pregnancy, from 91% in the control groups to 85% in the treatment groups.1 We incorrectly hypothesised a reduction from 20% to 14% in prevalence of any smoking during pregnancy.
In fact, there was a decline in smoking during pregnancy, from 22% in 1994 to 17% in 2001 in New South Wales.2 These figures illustrate well the final point that Walsh and Lumley make: whole-of-population approaches to smoking reduction can yield much greater benefits (a 5% reduction in 7 years in NSW) than high-risk approaches (from our data, the 1.2% calculated by Walsh and Lumley).
Our estimates of the adverse effects of smoking in pregnancy are, at present, correct. Although we unfortunately overstated the possible reductions resulting from interventions targeted only at pregnant women, such reductions are plausible for whole-of-population approaches.3
References
- Lumley J, Oliver SS, Chamberlain C, Oakley L. Interventions for promoting smoking cessation during pregnancy. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2004, Issue 3. Art. No: CD001055. pub 2. DOI: 10.1002/14651858. EIIJECEB
- Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Department of Health. New South Wales Mothers and Babies 2001, NSW Public Health Bull 2002; 13(S-4). i1085667
- Rose G. The strategy of preventive medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992. i1085669