Smoking Cessation Advisors’ Perspectives on Pregnant Women’s Attitudes on the Risks and Consequences of Smoking While Pregnant

Smoking while pregnant is known to increase infant mortality, morbidity and can have adverse effects on children’s physical and mental development. Despite strong evidence and public health efforts, cessation support for pregnant smokers remains inconsistent across UK maternity services. Objectives: To investigate smoking cessation advisors’ perspectives on pregnant women’s attitudes and beliefs about smoking during pregnancy and the perceived risks to the unborn child. Methods: Ten smoking cessation advisors, from ten different hospital sites in London and Kent, participated in a focus group. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analysed. Results: Three main themes were identified: (1) building a positive relationship, (2) pregnant smokers’ awareness of health risks, and (3) informative techniques used by smoking cessation advisors. While based on a single focus group, the findings suggest that while many pregnant smokers recognise the health risks, this awareness alone may not lead to cessation. Conclusions: Adopting a person-centred approach that considers pregnant smokers’ knowledge, beliefs, and emotional readiness may help advisors deliver timely and appropriate information to encourage cessation. Practice implications could benefit from a more structured yet flexible framework to guide sensitive discussions about smoking risks and to reinforce the potential benefits of quitting for both maternal and foetal wellbeing.