Giving birth can provide an opportunity for parents to quit smoking, according to a study published in the March issue of Pediatrics (appearing online now).
Of the current smokers, 64% in the intervention group reported a quit attempt, versus 18% of the control group. The investigators suggested that the hospital stay could be an opportune time to coach new fathers, noting that while 90% of mothers were counseled by their obstetricians to quit, only 15% of fathers received this advice. Enrollment in the smoking cessation programs during the immediate postpartum stay seemed to spur fathers to attempt to stop smoking: 75% enrolled in the quit line.