Ask Our Expert - Using a Nicotine Patch While Pregnant

October 07, 2008

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Specializing in pregnancy and birth.


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Ask Dr. Greenfield Using a Nicotine Patch While Pregnant

QUESTION


Dear Dr. Greenfield, I'm having trouble quitting smoking. Is it safe to wear a patch while pregnant? — Brittney

ANSWER	September 11, 2001


Dear Brittney, It is great for you and your baby that you are trying to quit smoking. The next step is to figure out the safest way for you to do so. Using the nicotine patch in pregnancy is controversial. It's hard for health professionals to prescribe a medication for a pregnant woman that clearly is not safe for her fetus. In reality, though, it is probably safer than smoking, especially if the goal is to get you off the replacement within a few weeks. All in all, if nicotine replacement is the only way that you can quit, it may be better to expose the baby to it for a short time, than to continue to smoke through the pregnancy. Talk to your doctor about whether nicotine replacement is safe in your particular situation. You also may want to check out an excellent article on how to give up cigarettes on the National Cancer Institute's Clearing the Air website. — by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D.

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