Bibliographic Info
GuidelineWHO recommendations on maternal health: guidelines approved by the WHO Guidelines Review Committee, second edition. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2025
Year of Publication2023
Issuing InstitutionWorld Health Organization
Recommendation
Status
Updated
Recommended in favor
Strong
Certainty of evidence
Low
Health-care providers should ask all pregnant women about their tobacco use (past and present) and exposure to second-hand smoke as early as possible in pregnancy and at every antenatal care visit.
Notes and Remarks
- 1.Tobacco use includes all forms of smoking and use of smokeless tobacco.
- 2.Second-hand smoke exposure includes exposure to smoke from combustible tobacco products at home, work and in public places.
- 3.Tobacco use (smoking and smokeless) status of husbands/partners and other household members should also be assessed.
- 4.At the first prenatal visit, health-care providers should ask all pregnant women about their tobacco use (past and present). Pregnant women with prior history of tobacco use should be asked about their present tobacco use at every antenatal care visit. Providers should ask women about their SHS exposure at the first prenatal visit, and whenever there is a change in living or work status and when SHS intervention has been initiated.
- 5.Before assessment is initiated in a clinic setting:
- training and resource materials should be provided to clinicians and other health-care workers to enable effective and non-judgemental assessment of tobacco use; and
- clinicians and other health-care workers should be trained to refer or intervene with all pregnant women who are identified as tobacco users (past and present) or exposed to SHS