With the smoking ban now in effect across Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England, an extensive trial into the effects of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) on pregnant women hopes to discover once and for all how the treatment affects unborn babies.
Mums-to-be who are smokers are encouraged to give up once they discover they are pregnant, but quitting smoking can be a tough task without counselling and replacement therapies.
However, since NRTs are still putting nicotine into the bloodstream, some health experts were concerned that the unborn baby would develop an addiction to nicotine through the patches and tablets - though admittedly this was better than smoking where other harmful substances also enter the blood stream.
To find out more about the subject, 1,050 pregnant women are participating in a trial run by Smoking, Nicotine and Pregnancy (Snap). As well as studying the physiological effects of the NRT on the baby, the researchers will analyse the behaviour and physical development of the child.
Dr Tim Coleman from the Division of Primary Care at the University of Nottingham, is heading the trial and said that he was excited about the possibilities which could appear from the outcome of the study.
"If the Snap trial establishes that NRT is effective and safe when used for smoking cessation by pregnant women, then greater use of NRT by pregnant smokers could have a substantial impact on their health and also on the health of their babies".
Sue Cooper, the trial's manager, added: "This is a really interesting and challenging trial to be involved with. We've got a great team of enthusiastic research midwives who are working alongside local staff in the hospitals to recruit women to take part in the trial and to help support them to stop smoking".
source : www.bounty.com
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