Many women stop smoking as soon as they find out they're pregnant.
But shortly after giving birth, most of them will start lighting up again. That behavior is puzzling to health researchers who know that most other people who go nine months without a puff have become non-smokers. As a consequence, a research study reported in the May issue of the American Journal of Public Health takes the first stab at trying to prevent pregnant women from resuming their smoking habits after their babies are born. The researchers found that ongoing supportive counseling is needed to keep new moms off cigarettes because when the trial run of counseling ended, many of the women in the test program started smoking again. It's important to try to help pregnant women stay off cigarettes in postpartum.