Counselling, rewards and feedback helped pregnant women stop smoking.

The review

1. 01

   Who took part

   The review pooled 88 trials with 28,403 pregnant women who smoked, mostly women over 16. About half the trials included women on low incomes, and nearly all were in rich countries.

2. 02

   What they did

   Most trials compared the help with usual care or with a lighter version. The main kinds were counselling, health education, feedback, rewards, support from peers or partners, and exercise.

3. 03

   What happened

   Counselling made women about 44% more likely to quit in late pregnancy. Paying only for not smoking worked over twice as well as paying anyway. After birth, counselling made women about 60% more likely to stay off smoking.

What the review found

1. Helped

   Across 30 studies, counselling helped women quit in late pregnancy more than usual care did.

   • Rule: With a coach or therapistused

   Pooled analysis of 30 studies · vs women who got usual care · the authors rated their certainty high · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited; mixes trials with other kinds of study

2. Helped

   Across 4 studies, paying women only for not smoking helped more of them quit.

   • Rule: Get a reward or payment for doing ittested

   Pooled analysis of 4 studies · vs the same money given whatever they did · the authors rated their certainty high · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited; mixes trials with other kinds of study

3. Helped

   Across 2 studies, scan or carbon monoxide feedback helped women quit more than usual care did.

   • Rule: Get feedback on your progresstested

   Pooled analysis of 2 studies · vs women who got usual care · the authors rated their certainty moderate · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited; mixes trials with other kinds of study

4. Helped

   Across 11 studies, counselling helped women stay off cigarettes in the first five months after birth.

   • Rule: With a coach or therapistused

   Pooled analysis of 11 studies · vs women who got usual care · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited; mixes trials with other kinds of study

Source