Too many Wyoming mothers still puffingAccording to the recently-released 2009 Kids Count Data Report, 20 percent of Wyoming women smoked while they were pregnant.One-fifth of pregnant women in our state jeopardized their unborn infants' health and continued to puff on cigarettes. It's a shockingly high percentage — nearly twice the national average — and it highlights the need for better education statewide.While tobacco prevention programs operate in every Wyoming county, Kids Count coordinator Marc Homer said in a recent Associated Press article, “Somehow, the message isn't getting to the mothers that smoking during pregnancy is a risk.”And a big risk at that: According to the March of Dimes, women who smoke while pregnant are twice as likely to have low-birthweight babies, leading to increased risk of disabilities such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation and learning delays. Babies born to mothers who smoked while pregnant are three times as likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome, compared to babies of nonsmokers.As Homer said, “Whether it is through special programs or health providers, we need to have a better educational component (to help mothers learn the danger of smoking.)”While it's hard to believe — in this day and age — that the dangers of smoking while pregnant aren't apparent, the current approach obviously isn't working. Healthcare professionals and child advocates need to take a long, hard look at new programs to reduce smoking during pregnancy.

Too many Wyoming mothers still puffing

According to the recently-released 2009 Kids Count Data Report, 20 percent of Wyoming women smoked while they were pregnant.

One-fifth of pregnant women in our state jeopardized their unborn infants' health and continued to puff on cigarettes.

It's a shockingly high percentage — nearly twice the national average — and it highlights the need for better education statewide.

While tobacco prevention programs operate in every Wyoming county, Kids Count coordinator Marc Homer said in a recent Associated Press article, “Somehow, the message isn't getting to the mothers that smoking during pregnancy is a risk.”

And a big risk at that: According to the March of Dimes, women who smoke while pregnant are twice as likely to have low-birthweight babies, leading to increased risk of disabilities such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation and learning delays. Babies born to mothers who smoked while pregnant are three times as likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome, compared to babies of nonsmokers.

As Homer said, “Whether it is through special programs or health providers, we need to have a better educational component (to help mothers learn the danger of smoking.)”

While it's hard to believe — in this day and age — that the dangers of smoking while pregnant aren't apparent, the current approach obviously isn't working.

Healthcare professionals and child advocates need to take a long, hard look at new programs to reduce smoking during pregnancy.