PROBLEM Dozens of women who smoke through their pregnancies are giving birth every month in Portsmouth. AROUND 70 women a month are smokers right up to the birth of their baby in the Portsmouth area. Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs midwifery services in south-east Hampshire, has revealed that on average this year, 15 per cent of all women giving birth were still smoking – equivalent to 72 a month. As reported in The News, the trust introduced carbon monoxide (CO) testing this month, to show mums-to-be the damage they are doing to their unborn child by smoking. Tina Spiers, clinical lead midwife for PHT, said: ‘Nationally, the NHS would like to see that figure come down to 11 p... [Read more]