AIREDALE Hospital is involved in a new scheme aimed at cutting the number of women who continue to smoke during pregnancy.

The babyClear programme, created by the Tobacco Control Collaborating Centre, will see all midwives at both the Steeton hospital and Bradford Royal Infirmary given new kit and special training.

They will use scanners to test all pregnant women for levels of carbon monoxide during their routine early appointments. If high levels are found, the mother-to-be will be referred to the district’s Stop Smoking Service.

Anyone who still continues to smoke will then see a specialist stop-smoking midwife for a more intensive intervention.

These women will be offered a harder-hitting explanation of the potential harm caused to the baby by carbon monoxide and other poisons in smoke and given extra support to quit.

The scheme is being jointly funded by Bradford Council, the Bradford City and Bradford Districts clinical commissioning groups and Public Health England.

Councillor Val Slater, Bradford Council’s deputy leader and portfolio holder for health and wellbeing, said: “We all want the best start for our children and helping more mums quit smoking is the single biggest thing we can do to protect the district’s babies.

“It is important pregnant women are empowered with the full facts about smoking so they fully understand what is happening inside their own body.

“By investing in babyClear, we are investing in best practice within the district’s maternity service.”

Joanne Nykol, who oversees tobacco-related initiatives at Bradford Council, said: “It’s never too late to benefit from quitting smoking.

“Most of the harmful effects of smoking during pregnancy happen in the second and third trimester.

“We know that virtually every mum wouldn’t want to put their babies, or themselves, at risk during pregnancy. However, tobacco is highly addictive.”

Figures show that about one in seven expectant mothers in Bradford district are still smokers when they give birth – higher than the national average of one in nine.

This puts them at greater risk of having a miscarriage, stillbirth or premature birth.

Health chiefs have invested £60,000 in the babyClear programme, which was successfully trialled in the North East to persuade more pregnant smokers to quit.

lWhat do you think? We welcome letters on this or any other subject. E-mail richard.parker@nqyne.co.uk or write to the Content Editor, Keighley News, 80-86 North Street, Keighley BD21 3AG. Please include your full name, address and daytime telephone number.