Help for pregnant women to quit smoking is on the way with over $1 million in funding announced for an innovative new project.

A University Centre for Rural Health (UCRH) team of researchers are now ready to trial the new program – MOHMQuit (Midwives and Obstetricians Helping Mothers to Quit). 

It is a designed to help managers and clinicians to better support pregnant smokers to quit. It takes a whole-of-system approach and was developed collaboratively with project partners. 

The program will be implemented in eight public hospitals to provide antenatal care and then test whether it is successful in helping mums to quit. 

The project will be led by Associate Professor Megan Passey, with funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

The Lismore team is collaborating with the Northern NSW Local Health District, four other Local Health Districts, the Ministry of Health, the Cancer Institute NSW, the NSW Cancer Council and colleagues from the University of Newcastle. 

“Smoking is the single most important preventable cause of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including stillbirth, preterm birth and low birth weight,” Dr Massey said.

“These harms are reduced if women stop smoking during pregnancy. Many pregnant women are motivated to quit but face significant challenges including a lack of effective support from health professionals.”

Dr Passey said the project builds on six years of work the team has been doing with Clinical Midwifery Consultant, Cathy Adams, and others at the Northern NSW Local Health District.

“It’s great to see this partnership enter another phase,” she said.