Prioritise smoking prevention during pregnancy
by Guy Hiscott
A report shows that women living in Ireland are less likely to report drinking during pregnancy, compared to their UK counterparts.
The results relate to the recent appeal from Irish dentists to reintroduce free dental scale and polish procedures, particularly for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women.
The report found a total of 13% of mothers smoked all the way through their pregnancy, among other findings, and indicated policy implications to improve the results.
The minister for children and youth affairs James Reilly commented on the findings: ‘We must do what we can to protect children from harmful exposure to smoking.’
The study, Growing Up in Ireland: The National Longitudinal Study of Children, was published early this year.
