A new study published in Nature Medicine found that pregnant smokers were more likely to quit when using e-cigarettes than nicotine patches.
The finding is great news, because patches have “limited efficacy in this population,” as the researchers noted—and quitting smoking during pregnancy decreases the risk of a host of adverse health complications to both parent and baby.
The randomized controlled trial began in 2019, enrolling 1,140 pregnant women at 24 hospitals in the United Kingdom. Participants had a median age of 27 years, smoked an average of 10 cigarettes per day, and were on average 15.7 weeks pregnant. The study compared vaping a refillable vaping device to wearing nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) patches.
The 344 participants in the e-cigarette arm and chose e-liquids with a higher nicotine content (11–20 mg ml) with tobacco and fruit flavors.
Helen Redmond – 2022-05-25.