NEARLY 150 women in Bradford and Craven were smokers when they gave birth, new statistics show.

NHS Digital figures show there were 140 pregnant women who were known to be smokers at the time of delivery in Bradford and Craven in the three months to September 2023.

This was equivalent to 10.1 per cent of all 1,736 mothers registered at the former NHS Bradford District and Craven CCG area – up slightly from 9.5 per cent during the same period in 2022-23.

However, numbers may vary slightly as the former NHS Bradford District and Craven CCG had no information about 20 per cent of all pregnant women's smoking status during this period.

The Telegraph & Argus asked Bradford Council if it wanted to comment on what it is doing to tackle the issue of smoking in pregnancy - but did not receive a response. 

Across the country, maternal smoking rates fell from 9.1 per cent in the three months to September 2022-23 to 7.5 per cent in the same period of 2023-24.

Hazel Cheeseman, deputy chief executive at Action on Smoking and Health, said: "Maternal smoking increases the risk of poor birth outcomes, including stillbirth, miscarriage and birth defects, so it's vital that every pregnant woman is offered support to quit smoking."

Ms Cheeseman added: "Progress has improved over the last year coinciding with the roll out of new dedicated stop smoking support in maternity services.

"A new national financial incentive scheme for pregnant smokers and their partners due to be rolled out this year should further accelerate progress.

"However, more needs to be done to tackle the significant disparities in maternal smoking rates between different parts of the country and to address high rates of women relapsing to smoking postnatally."

Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins said: "I am committed to supporting pregnant women to stop smoking and welcome these latest statistics which show a drop in the proportion of women smoking at time of delivery.

"We have committed to offering all pregnant women who smoke financial incentives in the form of vouchers alongside behavioural support by the end of 2024 to help even more expectant mums kick the habit.

"In October, this Government set out plans to introduce legislation to prohibit children born on or after January 1 2009 from legally buying cigarettes in England as part of our smoke-free 2030 ambition for England."