International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

Researchers at the University of Bath, UK, are using new funding provided by the government to explore ways that could be used to help pregnant women quit smoking.

The cash makes up part of a £1.2 million grant awarded to the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies by the Department of Health.

It will be used to develop and evaluate a tobacco control health inequalities pilot programme and will consist of six projects.

The projects aim to increase smoking cessation rates among some of the most vulnerable groups of smokers in the UK.

"Smoking during pregnancy is the biggest avoidable cause of fetal harm in the UK and at least 255,000 women continue to smoking during pregnancy in England each year," Linda Bauld, who will lead Bath's contribution to the programme, said.

The tobacco control research group at the University of Bath will lead the smoking during pregnancy pilot and contribute to the children's centre pilot, which will focus on parents with young children.

Research at the University of Bath spans across science, engineering, management, social sciences and the humanities.

Posted by Paul Robertson