Detroit Mothers-to-Be Are Smoking Nearly 20% More Than They Were in 2008

DETROIT, MI — Apparently, education matters when it comes to healthy habits in pregnancy. A new report shows troubling data in the number of Michigan women who are smoking while they're pregnant. The statewide rate increased by 18 percent between 2008 and 2014, according to a new report released Thursday. That same study shoes that funding has been reduced for education and smoking cessation programs during that time. Smoking during pregnancy is associated with premature births, babies with low birthweight, infant deaths and other complications.

The chart below shows that numbers in some categories for Detroit are pretty grim, in comparison to the rest of Wayne County. Those categories include births to teens and unwed mothers as well as premature births. The smoking statistic, however, is about the same for Detroit as the rest.

Not surprisingly, the number of premature births has also increased, by 20 percent statewide. Premature birth has long been associated with a number of maternal health issues, including smoking while pregnant. Premature and low-birthweight babies face immediate health concerns, but also suffer from long-term issues. The chart below shows more stats for Detroit relative to statewide trends.

This information and other surprising data are found in the Michigan League for Public Policy’s Right Start: 2016 annual report on maternal and child health, which reviews eight indicators on maternal and child health from 2008 to 2014 for the state, by race, by county and for 22 of the state’s larger cities and townships. In 2008, 21,966 Michigan mothers, or 18 percent of all births, reported smoking during pregnancy. That number increased to 24,273 and 21 percent of births statewide in 2014.

The Wayne County Health Department offers a class on smoking cessation for pregnant women. The course includes information on child health and how to quit smoking.

The Wayne County Health Department also refers pregnant women to the Michigan Tobacco Quitline program, which helps all people across the state quit smoking. In 2013, Quitline introduced a text messaging and online service, allowing the program to serve a broader audience. During the 2015 budget year,
Quitline calls from Wayne County totaled 1,129.
The Quitline program also offers specialized services for pregnant women regardless of location, income level or insurance status. Services include a personal quit coach, a personalized plan and up to nine calls through the free telephone-coaching program during pregnancy and postpartum. After every call, women receive rewards that can be used to purchase necessities for their babies.

Photo by Ariane Hunter via Flickr Commons