Nicotine patches for pregnant smokers: a randomised controlled study, Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Objective: To assess the effect of nicotine patches on conti-nine-validated smoking cessation in pregnant women and the effect of nicotine on birth weight and preterm delivery. Methods: Pregnant women who smoked ten or more cigarettes after the first trimester (N 5 250) were randomly assigned to receive nicotine patches (n 5 124) or placebo patches (n 5 126). Women randomized to nicotine were treated with 15-mg patches (16 hours/day) for 8 weeks, and 10-mg patches (16 hours/day) for 3 weeks. Results: Overall, 26 % stopped smoking and 14 % were nonsmokers 1 year after delivery. There was no difference between nicotine and placebo groups. At the end of the intervention, the mean value of cotinine in saliva in women assigned to nicotine was 120 ng/mL and placebo 153 ng/mL (mean difference 233; 95 % CI 272, 6 ng/mL). Mean birt