Geelong’s alarming pregnant smoker stats revealed

Smoking rates among women in some parts of the region are alarmingly high, amid warnings about how the habit can harm babies.

Quit Victoria acting director Craig Sinclair. Picture: Maya Sugiharto

An alarming number of Geelong women are continuing to smoke while pregnant, sparking fears for the health of their babies.

In the Geelong area, 8.7 per cent per cent of women reported smoking in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy,and 66.7 per cent per cent of those continued smoking in the second half.

However, for the Surf Coast-Bellarine Peninsula area, 4.5 per cent of women smoked in the first half of pregnancyand 61.5 per cent of those women continued, the 2019-21 data showed.

Nationally, 8.3 per cent of women smoked in the first half of pregnancy, and 72.4 per cent continued, data for babies born in 2021 from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showed.

Torrens University director of the Public Health Information Development Unit Professor John Glover. Picture: Jacqueline Boyle

Torrens University Australia’s Public Health Information Development Unit (PHIDU) director Professor John Glover said Geelong’s figures would be influenced by higher rates in disadvantaged suburbs.

PHIDU data shows between 2017-2019, smoking during pregnancy was at 22.7 per cent in the Corio-Lovely Banks/Norlane area, compared to just 2.4 per cent in the Ocean Grove/Barwon Heads-Armstrong Creek area.

“You’ve got to address the social determinants of health, you can’t just do a stop smoking campaign,” Prof Glover said.

“It’s the whole business of education, employment, which leads to income and dignity.”

Barwon Health women’s and children’s clinical director Associate Professor Dave Fuller

said higher smoking rates were known to be associated with disadvantaged communities.

Prof Fuller said the organisation had various initiatives designed to reduce smoking rates during pregnancy, including Smokealyzer breath tests that demonstrated women and their partners’ oxygen levels impacted by smoking.

“Smoking in pregnancy can lead to growth restriction in the infant, with an increased risk of placental abruption, preterm birth, miscarriage, and ectopic pregnancy,” he said.

“For the mother during pregnancy, smoking can lead to reduced oxygen capacity.

“Smoking during pregnancy and second-hand smoke also have impacts post-birth and can increase the risk of an infant developing asthma, a weakened immune system, and chest infections, while also being a contributing factor in SIDS.”

Quit Victoria acting director Craig Sinclair said it was important that people quitting smoking received non-judgemental, comprehensive support.

“Quitting smoking during pregnancy is one of the best things you can do to protect you and your baby’s health,” Mr Sinclair said.

“Quit provides a range of resources to support and educate people.”

Data did not encompass vaping, butMr Sinclair said current clinical guidelines did not recommend nicotine vaping during pregnancy.

“It took us decades to understand the deadly health outcomes from smoking, thus the evidence on the harms of vaping is still emerging, especially as it relates to foetal development and obstetric outcomes,” he said.

Prof Fuller said Barwon Health actively discouraged pregnant women from vaping.

Originally published as Geelong’s alarming pregnant smoker stats revealed