Pregnant women who need help to stop smoking can be reassured quit aids such as nicotine patches and varenicline do not increase the risk of major birth defects in babies, thanks to an international study.
Led by the University of New South Wales National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, and co-authored by the University of Otago, the study analysed 13,000 births from Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden.
The researchers compared the risk of birth defects in babies exposed to quit-smoking medicines nicotine replacement therapy, varenicline, and bupropion, to those born to women smoking in early pregnancy who did not use these quit-smoking tools.
The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, found no evidence that infants exposed to these medicines had higher rates of major congenital malformations.
Co-authors Dr Sarah Donald and Professor Lianne Parkin, of Otago's Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, were delighted to be able to contribute their analysis of the New Zealand data to the study.
Dr Donald says it is an important research area for maternal and infant health.
"It was reassuring to find that the mothers' use of quit-smoking medicines does not appear to increase birth defects in babies.
"The three quit-smoking therapies included in the study are available and fully funded in New Zealand, so these findings are very relevant for pregnant women here.
"Although smoking rates in New Zealand have declined over recent years, between 10-15% of pregnant women are smokers. Having more options to assist pregnant smokers to quit could lead to better outcomes for our mums and babies," she says.
