Smoking cessation in pregnancy

Background: Pregnant women who continue to smoke expose their developing fetus to a wide range of risks. Assisting these patients to stop smoking can be an important intervention for the health of the baby and the mother. The management of pregnant smokers can be challenging, due to the potential risks of pharmacotherapy. There are a number of options available to the clinician to aid smoking cessation in non pregnant women. These include nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), bupropion, varenicline, and a range of non-drug therapies. Objective: To provide guidance to prescribers on the best way to manage smoking cessation in the pregnant patient, reviewing the risks and efficacy of the different approaches. Methods: An extensive literature search was carried out to find original studies which examined issues surrounding the safety and efficacy of methods of smoking cessation in pregnancy. Results/conclusion: NRT is the agent of choice for smoking cessation in pregnancy as the safety of other therapies in pregnancy have not yet been proved.