Vishakha Patel wrote: > Since I was able to find all this information, I am wondering if > anyone out there > would have had this checked and what percentage of mothers in population > do you see smoking while they breast-fed their infants. I also would like > to know the method used to teach mothers about this type of risks. I would > appreciate your information on this kind of a situation. Dear Vishakha, I have no fugures, but I do see much too many smoking pregnant and lactating women, I'm afraid. But re breastfeeding I'd say that breastfeeding and smoking is better than smoking and not breastfeeding. In the latter the child will have the negative effects of second hand smoking whitout the protection of breastfeeding. I personally think that second hand smoking has more negative effects (for it lasts longer) than ''smoked'' breastmilk consumption. BTW one aspect of smoking you did not mention is the possibility of milkyield reduction. Re educating the mothers: there has been recently a study on the effects of evidence-based education for pregnant women on the disicion to smoke or quit smoking during pregnancy. Outcomes were that if educated with evidence based facts less women continued to smoke then women who just received the standard advice to quit smoking. Gonneke van Veldhuizen, IBCLC, Maaseik, Belgium http://www.users.skynet.be/eurolac [log in to unmask] *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html