Smoking during pregnancy is a major contributor to infant mortality rate. Indiana has one of the highest rates of smoking during pregnancy in the United States.

“The State Health Department deserves a lot of credit for tackling this important public health issue for Indiana by investing in research to identify effective interventions that will save most importantly lives but also scarce resources," said Jon Macy, lead researcher for the project and assistant professor at the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington.
"We really need to lower the rate of smoking during pregnancy in Indiana, so I’m excited to get started on this project.”
Pregnant women will be enrolled in the study at prenatal clinics in central and south-central Indiana. They will be followed throughout their pregnancy and for up to six months after delivery to assess the effect of the intervention on smoking and health outcomes, said Macy.
Women who smoke during pregnancy are twice likely to deliver a low-birth-weight baby. Babies born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy have twice the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.
The study will involve different levels of financial incentives. The incentives would be much cheaper than the medical expenses associated with a pre-term, low-birth-weight baby. It is difficult for anyone to quit smoking. But pregnant women have additional challenges.
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Source-Medindia