For the longest time, people who have been trying to quit smoking have been advised to use smoking cessation products like nicotine gums until they have completely kicked the habit of lighting up. But for some time, arguments regarding the effectivity of using such products to permanently stop smoking were brought up specifically because of the side effects that come with using the product.
But a recent study shows that chewing nicotine gum can be very helpful for pregnant smokers.
Although chewing nicotine gum does not help pregnant smokers get rid of their smoking habits, it will help them lower the number of sticks they light every day. By doing so, their risks of having premature labor or giving birth to a baby with low birth weight.
For the study, the research group got 194 pregnant smokers to participate. The group was randomly divided into two groups that were given nicotine gum and placebo gum respectively for 6 weeks. A 6-week tapering period followed. During the testing period, the women were also subjected to smoking cessation counseling. These women were told to try to cut back on the number of cigarettes they puffed in a day and use the nicotine gum as a substitute when they felt like it is needed.
Although the quit rates were not significantly different in the group that took the nicotine gum and the group that took the placebo gum, the number of cigarettes smoked by the women chewing nicotine gum went down by 5.7 sticks a day on average. Whereas with the women who chewed placebo gums reduced 3.5 cigarettes per day.
Furthermore, infants born of women who chewed nicotine gum weighed significantly more than those born from women who chewed placebo gum. Babies born from the nicotine gum group were also born closer to term as opposed to those born of women in the placebo gum group.
Despite these finding, the research group does not recommend the regular use of nicotine gums on pregnant smokers. This because of the presence of evidences obtained from animal studies which shows that nicotine exposure can cause a cellular abnormality formation on a growing fetus as well as increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). It is important for pregnant smokers to remember that nicotine gums and other nicotine-replacement products like patches and lozenges have not been approved by the FDA to be used by pregnant women. It would still be best for the baby to look for natural means to control the urge to smoke without having to use smoking cessation aids.
But a recent study shows that chewing nicotine gum can be very helpful for pregnant smokers.
Although chewing nicotine gum does not help pregnant smokers get rid of their smoking habits, it will help them lower the number of sticks they light every day. By doing so, their risks of having premature labor or giving birth to a baby with low birth weight.
For the study, the research group got 194 pregnant smokers to participate. The group was randomly divided into two groups that were given nicotine gum and placebo gum respectively for 6 weeks. A 6-week tapering period followed. During the testing period, the women were also subjected to smoking cessation counseling. These women were told to try to cut back on the number of cigarettes they puffed in a day and use the nicotine gum as a substitute when they felt like it is needed.
Although the quit rates were not significantly different in the group that took the nicotine gum and the group that took the placebo gum, the number of cigarettes smoked by the women chewing nicotine gum went down by 5.7 sticks a day on average. Whereas with the women who chewed placebo gums reduced 3.5 cigarettes per day.
Furthermore, infants born of women who chewed nicotine gum weighed significantly more than those born from women who chewed placebo gum. Babies born from the nicotine gum group were also born closer to term as opposed to those born of women in the placebo gum group.
Despite these finding, the research group does not recommend the regular use of nicotine gums on pregnant smokers. This because of the presence of evidences obtained from animal studies which shows that nicotine exposure can cause a cellular abnormality formation on a growing fetus as well as increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). It is important for pregnant smokers to remember that nicotine gums and other nicotine-replacement products like patches and lozenges have not been approved by the FDA to be used by pregnant women. It would still be best for the baby to look for natural means to control the urge to smoke without having to use smoking cessation aids.