NICOTINE replacement therapies such as nicotine gum and patches are better options for expectant mothers than smoking, according to current international guidelines, reviewed in the MJA.
"Smoking during pregnancy is the most important preventable risk factor for poor maternal and infant health outcomes," authors wrote.
Clinicians say they have "safety concerns", but the "mums-to-be are better off with nicotine patches, gum or other cessation devices, as they are safer than smoking".
They add that previous studies on animals have shown nicotine is harmful to animal fetuses, "especially for brain and lung development", but human studies "did not find any harmful effects on fetal and pregnancy outcomes compared with placebo, but the evidence is limited due to the small numbers of participants in the meta-analysis."
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