Author: Margaret Simms
COT DEATH CAN BE AVOIDED?
Can cot death really be avoided? Apparently, if women did not smoke whilst they were pregnant, 60 per cent of cot deaths could be avoided, This is the opinion of George Haycock, a scientific adviser at the Foundation for the Study of Infant Death.
SAVE THE LIVES OF 160 BABIES
Currently there are around 300 cot deaths a year in the UK. If all pregnant women stopped being selfish, and stopped smoking in 2008, 160 babies would not die; by the time these babies went to secondary school (at the age of 11) the lives of 1,760 babies would have been saved.
NON-SMOKER SNOWBALL
Now I am no expert on smoking, but I suspect that when children grow up with non-smoking, fit and healthy role models, they are less likely to want to rely on cigarettes for their pleasure. So, when our 1,760 babies discover that life is much more healthy without cigarettes, they grow in to non-smoking adults who do not jeopardise the lives of their babies - and the non-smoker snowball continues to gain momentum.
HOW PROACTIVE ARE YOU?
How proactive are you being about transforming the minds of pregnant women who think that smoking is a good idea? How radical is your action plan to prevent future pregnant women from smoking? This a life or death choice for mum - and no choice for baby. By choosing not to smoke a pregnant woman is choosing life for her baby. By insisting on smoking there is every chance that baby is going to be affected.
HOW SUCCESSFUL IS SMOKING CESSATION PROGRAMME
Be radical, and be certain that your methods are working. Don't just assume that the smoking cessation programme methods you have always used are the best ones. You probably keep records of how many pregnant women in your Centre smoke, how many take the advice support you offered to stop smoking, how many are successful and so on. Do you also find out what makes your particular programme successful? You are concerned that pregnant women are still smoking but do you know how you can improve your results? Have you asked parents what they think? Evaluating your non-smoking outcomes in this way can lead to improvement. Maybe this section of your service to children and families is offered a Service Level Agreement, are you getting value for money?
MEET THOSE TARGETS
At ProCEEd, we know that your staff are already stretched by service delivery, and with the holiday season looming the situation can only get worse. If you are going to impove the impact of your smoking cessation programme and radically reduce the number of pregnant women in your local area who smoke, you will need to find answers to all of the above questions - and more.
Even imposed targets are there to be hit, and wh proper evaluation your aim could not only meet, but also improve your outcomes. Click to book your evaluation or find out more today.
CALL FOR URGENT ACTION
Read more about reducing cot deaths on the Children and Young People Now website
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