Data were
obtained from 168 women who smoked during their pregnancy. Women were
followed from their first
prenatal appointment through 9 months
postpartum. Maternal substance use was assessed using the Timeline
Followback and verified
by maternal salivary analyses. Breastfeeding,
other substance use, and partner smoking were assessed through maternal
interviews
at each time point and were considered as
potential predictors of change in smoking.
Women
returned to more than half of their levels of preconception tobacco
consumption by 9 months postpartum. There was one
significant predictor of changes in smoking
patterns pregnancy to postpartum. Women who breastfed their infants for
at least
90 days smoked far less postpartum than women
who breastfed for a short time or did not breastfeed at all.
As noted
in previous research of pregnant quitters, postpartum relapse prevention
or harm reduction interventions should
ideally be timed early in the postpartum period.
Additionally, promoting breastfeeding among pregnant smokers and
supporting
women through at least 3 months of breastfeeding
may be beneficial to such interventions.