A new report that shows a startling number of women in Alberta smoke while pregnant provides a clear warning sign the province's approach is falling short, a University of Calgary researcher says.A recently-released 2005.
Alberta Health and Wellness study examined 28,484 samples from pregnant women randomly selected from 50,599 serum samples used for a provincewide bio-monitoring test from January to December 2005. It found that the levels of cotinine.
A nicotine metabolite and marker of cigarette smoke exposure were unusually high among expecting Alberta women, particularly those in northern Alberta and younger than 25-years-old.According to the study, between 25 to 32 per cent of former and current smokers lit up regularly during their most recent pregnancy. The national average is 19 to 22 per cent.
This, despite a provincial government strategy to reduce 2000-01 smoking rates in pregnant women from 32 per cent to 12 per cent in 2010-11."It is very disturbing knowing how many complications cigarette smoke during pregnancy can do," said Dr. Shabih Hasan, a professor in the department of pediatrics at the U of C's faculty of medicine who researches the effects of tobacco exposure during pregnancy.
"There is an enormous price to pay for this. We have not made a dent."The risks of maternal smoking during pregnancy are well-established, Hasan said. Lighting up while pregnant has been found to harm the fetus and is linked to increased risks of stillbirth, spontaneous abortion, premature delivery and higher rates of sudden infant death.
The cotinine levels found among Alberta pregnant women are"a concern," according to the report.The concentrations of cotinine measured here indicate that many pregnant Albertan women were smokers at the time of their blood sample collection, particularly in the youngest women examined and in northern Alberta."
The findings in northern Alberta, including formerly-separate Aspen, Peace Country and Northern Light health regions, were especially alarming, according to the report.The test is the first sweeping bio-monitoring project in the province and one of the largest of its kind in Canada.
The blood was tested for 170 synthetic and organic chemicals;in general, concentrations were found to be within acceptable levels compared to similar studies--except for the cotinine concentration.The 143-report notes that bio-monitoring findings could serve as a" benchmark" for current and future smoking laws and awareness campaigns.
Alberta Health spokesman Howard May said the government has made strides on the smoking issue, noting that provincewide smoking legislation has met with success this year. While there is still work to do, he said, "There's a certain amount of personal responsibility as well.
"Certainly in this day and age, people don't need the government to warn them not to smoke while pregnant."About 23 per cent of Albertans smoke --or a fifth of the total population.Hasan said researchers have been trying to red flag smoking.
As a serious addiction, but it's often treated as a lifestyle issue.That notion hampers efforts to address smoking concerns, which is especially troubling when considering the "toxic" effects of lighting up while pregnant, Hasan said.