Testing Pharmacological Therapies for Pregnant Smokers
Status:
Terminated
Trial end date:
1969-12-31
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Nicotine dependence has not been sufficiently addressed in current state-of-the-science
cessation interventions for pregnant smokers. The weight of the evidence from the general
population of smokers suggests that nicotine replacement therapies may be beneficial
cessation aids for pregnant smokers who are unable to stop smoking. The tremendous potential
of these therapies for promoting smoking cessation among pregnant women creates a pressing
need for decision tools and protocols to encourage treatment adherence that is essential for
rigorous evaluation of the effectiveness of OTC NRT when provided as part of prenatal care.
The results of this research could be directly translated to the improvement of obstetrical
care providers' clinical practices. Medically supervised use of OTC NRT by pregnant smokers
is an alternative to continued smoking that has the potential to substantially increase rates
of smoking cessation during pregnancy.