Assessement of a Test a Financial-incentive Program for Pregnant Women and Their Smoking Partners to Reduce Smoking During Pregnancy.

Nearly one in five pregnant women still smoke in the third trimester of pregnancy. This is the highest rate in Europe. Smoking during pregnancy is an established risk factor for the unborn child: risk of ectopic pregnancy, intrauterine growth restriction and prematurity, risk of sudden infant death syndrome (increased two- to threefold), and risk of respiratory problems for the newborn. The risks increase with the frequency and duration of the mother's smoking during pregnancy.

Quitting smoking is essential to prevent the risks associated with tobacco use during pregnancy. The evidence of benefits for the child from pharmacotherapeutic interventions (nicotine replacement therapy) is insufficient. New treatment options must be explored to help pregnant women quit smoking.

Financial incentives are recognized as an effective means of motivating behavior change. It is about impacting the trade-off of quitting smoking. The trade-off consists of the benefits of quitting (improved health and reduced monetary costs because tobacco is no longer purchased) and the costs of quitting (suppressing the satisfaction and pleasure derived from smoking). One consortium member conducted a large clinical trial showing that a financial incentive is an effective intervention to help pregnant women who smoke to quit smoking.

Previous studies have shown that 70% of partners of women who use tobacco are themselves smokers. The partner's smoking is a risk factor for continued tobacco use during pregnancy and can be a source of passive smoking for the mother and child. Women who quit smoking before and after pregnancy are more often in relationships with nonsmoking partners than those who continue to smoke.

The investigator hypothesize that a financial incentive aimed at the partner's abstinence from tobacco will enhance the beneficial effects of the financial incentive on reducing or stopping tobacco use during pregnancy. The investigator also hypothesize that incentivizing the partner to stop smoking will help strengthen their engagement in family life.