Chewing nicotine gum may not help pregnant women stop smoking, but it does help them smoke fewer cigarettes a day, which may lower the risk of premature birth and low birth weight, Reuters Health reports.
In the study, 194 pregnant smokers were given nicotine gum or a placebo (dummy gum) for 6 weeks. After 6 weeks they were asked to try to stop smoking, or, if they couldn't, to cut down as much as possible.
Quit rates didn't differ significantly between the two groups. But the nicotine group cut down by 5.7 cigarettes a day on average, against 3.5 in the placebo group. The women using nicotine gum also gave birth closer to their due date, and their babies were heavier; smoking is known to cause premature birth and low birth weight.
Even so, doctors don't recommend regular nicotine use in pregnancy, because nicotine may raise the risk of sudden infant death, and nicotine products (gum or others) were not approved for pregnant women at the time. It's best to stop or cut down smoking before pregnancy; pregnant smokers should talk to their doctor about the safest way to quit.
The study was published in Obstetrics and Gynecology in October 2008.
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