RCHD Receives Grant For Pregnant Women Smoking Cessation

Article Presented By Horizon Connects

(Chillicothe) – The Ohio Department of Health has awarded Ross County Health District’s Children & Family Health Division a grant for the Baby & Me Tobacco Free (Moms Quit for Two) Program. This is a smoking cessation program for pregnant women less than 36 weeks gestation who are current tobacco users or who have quit within 3 months of becoming pregnant. Through a series of face-to-face counseling sessions, women receive support and tools to successfully quit using tobacco products. Program participants receive vouchers for free diapers as rewards for their success.

The Baby & Me – Tobacco Free Program was recently designated a “Best Practice” by the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP). Programs with this designation have been reviewed by experts in the public health field as proven effective.

Pregnant women who smoke have an extra motivation to quit – the health of their unborn child. Smoking during pregnancy can lead to low birthweights infants, and premature birth. In the longer term, maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with a range of poor outcomes in children including ADHD, and cognitive dysfunction. Children who grow up in smoke-free homes enjoy many health benefits, so it is equally important to remain quit.

To date, over 18,000 women and their families across the United States have benefited from this program. Laurie Adams, President and Founder of the program, on learning of the designation states, “This “Best Practice” designation is further confirmation that investing in healthy children begins with offering tailored support to pregnant women and their families. Many pregnant women who smoke are consumed by guilt and wish they could quit. We offer a way for these women to realize their dream of being free from the grip of tobacco addiction, at a time when it matters most to not only their health, but the health of their unborn children.”

To enroll in Moms Quit for Two online, please visit rosscountyhealth.org/moms-quit-for-two. For more information, call Amie Unger at (740) 779-9652 ext. 2241 or email aunger@rosscountyhealth.org.