Objective: Any smoking during the initial 2 weeks of attempting to quit predicts poor short- and longer-term outcomes in the general population of cigarette smokers. The present study examined whether that rule applies to pregnant women.
Methods: Data were obtained from 129 women participating in clinical trials on smoking-cessation examining the efficacy of voucher-based incentives delivered contingent on biochemically-verified abstinence or a control condition wherein incentives were given independent of smoking status. Smoking status was assessed in weeks 1 and 2 of the cessation effort and again at an end-of-pregnancy assessment scheduled at weeks 28-32 gestation using self-report and biochemical verification.
Results: Smoking in weeks 1 or 2 predicted smoking at the end-of pregnancy assessment independent of treatment condition. There was a 79% and 92% chance that those who smoked in weeks 1 or 2 would be classified as smokers at end-of-pregnancy in the contingent-incentive and control conditions, respectively.
Conclusions: Clinicians assisting pregnant women trying to quit smoking may want to monitor progress in the initial weeks of the cessation effort and consider enhancing/changing the intervention when smoking is detected.