It has been seen that about two out of ten expectant mothers smoke all-throughout their pregnancy.
This adds up to 65,000 in England alone.
However, there is a new carbon monoxide test that is planned to be carried out from July by the medics in NHS hospitals. The motive of this test will be to cut down on the number of stillbirths seen in the UK.
All pregnant women will be called in for screenings at 12 weeks and 36 weeks by doctors and midwives.
This is a much-needed test because while consulting a doctor, many pregnant women lie about their smoking habits, and since there was no test to tally the answer yet, no one would know for sure.
However, these new tests will help the doctors get the required answer and further provide a specialist to help the mothers quit within 24 hours if they smoke.
It is known to everyone that smoking is very injurious to the health and even more so during pregnancy. It has resulted in several stillbirths and other medical problems like heart defects.
Second-hand smoking is also very damaging to the baby’s health. However, the new test will be able to distinguish and tell if the mother-to-be lives in a smoke-free environment or not.
A number of hospitals already ask for the pregnant women to take up smoking tests at 12 weeks; however, now all of them will be made to carry out tests at 12 and 36 weeks.
The NHS has very proudly planned on cutting down stillbirths by fifty percent by 2025 with such a model. Matt Hancock who is the Health Secretary said in an interview that so far the number of pregnant women smoking is at a record low, however, there are still too many women who suffer the tragedy of stillbirth due to smoking.
He added, their plan is to continue doing everything in their power to reduce this number significantly and help pregnant women quit for good.
Stillbirth can be very unfortunate and heartbreaking, which is why The NHS hospital and the doctors and staff there are taking the initiative to ensure that a greater number of babies experience healthy birth.
Recommended Video!
“11 Mistakes Woman Should Avoid During Pregnancy”
Share this post with your friends and family:)