Expectant mothers can get help quitting smoking, thanks to a new program offered by Saint Joseph Health System. The Baby & Me-Tobacco Free program offers mothers tobacco cessation counseling both during their pregnancy and after their baby is born.
The program is available for free to mothers in Marshall and St. Joseph counties, thanks to funding from the March of Dimes Indiana Chapter. Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of major complications, such as premature birth, low birth weight, birth defects, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. In Indiana, more than 15 percent of pregnant women smoked in 2014, according to a Saint Joseph Health System press release.
As part of the Baby & Me-Tobacco Free program, mothers who successfully quit smoking both during their pregnancy and after their baby is born will be eligible to receive $25 in vouchers for diapers every month for one year. For more information about the program, call facilitator Deborah Berger at 574-335-7954.
Expectant mothers are also encouraged to use the free cessation services available through the Indiana Tobacco Quitline, 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
