ALL expectant mothers in Oxfordshire could soon face a breath test to see if they have been smoking.

Pregnant smokers in the county who want to quit have been given a test for carbon monoxide over the past decade as part of a smoking reduction programme.

But under new guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice), all women expecting a baby should be asked to take the test, whether they are smokers or not.

Oxfordshire health officials said they were now considering how the Nice guidance could be implemented.

A cancer charity has welcomed the move, claiming that it would protect unborn babies from being harmed in the womb by smoking.

However, Denise Cadd, a mother of two who battled to beat her smoking addiction throughout her first pregnancy, said it would be treating pregnant women like criminals.

Mrs Cadd, from Steeple Aston, used to smoke 20 to 40 cigarettes a day for 23 years and smoked at times during her first pregnancy. She eventually received private hypnotherapy treatment to break her tobacco habit and no longer smokes.

Mrs Cadd said: “I really disagree with this. People who smoke are just the same as any other addicts.

“They need help and support to get off the drug, not to be treated like guilty criminals.”

One in four people in Oxfordshire smokes, according to figures from NHS Oxfordshire, the county’s primary care trust.

Smoking cessation nurse Celia Wodehouse said that about 25 pregnant women were referred to her each month for help to stop smoking.

She added: “Carbon monoxide monitoring is a successful motivational tool, which helps the woman to see the progress she is making.

“As far as the carbon monoxide monitoring is concerned, this is something that we’re not currently doing routinely at first maternity booking and subsequent appointments.

“What happens is the midwife assesses the woman’s exposure to tobacco smoke through discussion, asking in a non-judgmental and non-confrontational way if she or anyone else in her household smokes.

“Once the smoker agrees to help, it will be then at the initial assessment that the CO monitor will be used.

“This aids the adviser in planning the smoker’s suitability for nicotine replacement therapy and support but it’s only part of a very thorough assessment.”

Robin Hewings, Cancer Research UK’s tobacco control manager, added: “It’s good news that Nice has made such a thorough examination of the different options to help pregnant women quit smoking.

“Smoking in pregnancy does real harm to unborn children – including premature birth and still-birth as well as sudden unexpected death in infancy.

“Pregnant women should receive as much help as possible to give up, so they can help give the healthiest possible start to their children.

“It’s also a good idea to help fathers to quit, so that children benefit from a smoke-free household, which reduces the risk of them becoming smokers later in life.”

awilliams@oxfordmail.co.uk l If you would like advice on how to stop smoking, call the NHS Smoking Advice Service on 0845 40 80 300.