The percentage of Wisconsin women who smoke while pregnant is down since 1990, but still well above the national average. While this reduction is positive, it shows that Wisconsin has a long way to go to reach the Healthy People 2000 goal of having fewer than 1 in 10 women smoke while pregnant. The authors are encouraged by the decline, but state that more must be done.
Smoking remains unacceptably high among women of all ages, races and ethnicities.
A combined intervention strategy using both the medical and public health community is essential to further bring these rates down. The study states that smoking harms fetal development. The lead author of the study, Katherine Kvale, PhD, is an epidemiologist with the Wisconsin Division of Public Health. The SMS, established in 1841, is the first and largest physician and patient advocacy association in the state, representing over 8,000 member physicians and their patients. The purpose of the SMS is to advance the health of the people of Wisconsin.