Seasiders ‘more likely to smoke when expecting’

Almost one in three Blackpool women who had a baby last year smoked during pregnancy compared to one in 43 in Westminster according to the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).

By The Newsroom

Published 14th Jun 2013, 01:01 BST

Blackpool had the highest prevalence of all local health authorities in England, while Westminster had the lowest.

Smoking during pregnancy can cause serious health problems for babies and increase the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.

Across England, around one in every eight women (12.7 per cent) smoked during pregnancy.

Over the last six years, the number of mothers who smoked while expecting was highest in the North East,at almost one in five.