Fewer Preterm Births: The ‘Baby Benefits’ Of The Smoking Ban

You may have been wondering whether banning smoking in enclosed public places has made a difference to anyone’s wellbeing, but a new study has shown that it has potentially lowered rates of preterm birth. According to Belgian researchers, even in very early life, the findings point to wellness benefits of smoke-free laws.

You already know by now that, if you smoke when pregnant, you can stunt the growth of your baby and shorten the length of your pregnancy, and you’re probably aware that exposure to second-hand smoke could also affect the birth of your child, but until now scientists had less of an idea about how smoking bans impact preterm birth rates. Therefore, Tim Nawrot, of Belgium’s Hasselt University, led a team of researchers to investigate trends in births before 37 weeks gestation. They looked at these preterm births trends from 2002 to 2011, because this covered pre-, mid- and post-smoking ban periods of time.

Belgium’s smoking ban was introduced in three phases, firstly in public places and most workplaces in January 2006, then in restaurants one year later, and finally in bars serving food in January 2010. When the researchers analysed the preterm birth trends, they found that the risk of preterm birth decreased after the introduction of each phase, but no decreasing trend in preterm was evident in the years or months before the bans. The risk of preterm births dropped by 3.13% after January 2007, and dropped by a further 2.65% after January 2010.

Smoking can cause fatal lung cancer, as well as respiratory problems, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and the World Health Organisation says that, worldwide, tobacco kills 6 million people every year. This is predicted to rise to 8 million every year by 2030, if current trends continue, and 600,000 of those who currently die from tobacco poisoning are non-smokers who have been exposed to second-hand smoke.

According to the researchers, who published their study in the British Medical Journal, ‘Our study shows a consistent pattern of reduction in the risk of preterm delivery with successive population interventions to restrict smoking. It supports the notion that smoking bans have public health benefits even from early life.’ They hope that more countries in Europe and around the world adopt stricter legislation on smoking in public places, as this will produce huge, swift health benefits.