The study also revealed that 5.5 percent smoke during pregnancy. “Although almost all women are aware of the dangers to the health of babies, as the figures from the study show,” said Ewald Lochner, drug coordinator in Vienna.
Of the 888 women in the study, 7.4 percent smoked daily or almost daily during pregnancy, and an additional 4.5 percent smoked occasionally or rarely. 5.2 percent of the women surveyed consumed alcohol sometimes or rarely. And 0.3 percent of respondents drank daily or almost daily during pregnancy.
“This means that more than 2,000 children are born in Vienna every year whose mothers smoked every day or almost every day, and 50 children whose mothers drink alcohol every day or almost every day,” said the Vienna Addiction and Drug Coordination (SDW), which conducted the study supported and initiated together with the Office for Women’s Health and the Vienna Health Promotion (WiG), in a broadcast.
addictive potential
“Three quarters of those who smoke every day or almost every day and more than 90 percent of occasional smokers are convinced that you shouldn’t smoke at all during pregnancy. The fact that many continue to smoke shows how addictive nicotine is,” says Lochner. As the study shows, young smokers in particular would not stop smoking during pregnancy. 25.4 percent of women under the age of 25 also smoked during pregnancy, 12.9 percent of those aged 25 to 34 and 7.5 percent of women over the age of 35.
The Office for Women’s Health therefore emphasizes the role of physicians in educating pregnant women. “The awareness of the doctors is high, but our goal is that all pregnant women are informed as part of the prenatal care,” emphasized the head of the office, Kristina Hametner. “This means that the gyn practice as well as the midwife’s consultation hours are the right framework to motivate behavior change,” it said. However, it made more sense to refer to the support available instead of recommending reduced consumption, it was said. “It’s also important to address the occasional glass of wine or sparkling wine with the clear message: Every sip of alcohol can harm the child.”
Lochner also points out the health risk of alternative nicotine products such as e-cigarettes or nicotine pouches. “All of these products pose a risk and must not be downplayed under any circumstances,” it said.
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