A new Government campaign is aimed at pregnant women who find it difficult to quit. The advertising campaign from NHS Smokefree will not only highlight how cigarettes restrict essential oxygen to the baby but also show how the baby's heart has to beat harder every time the mother smoked.

In England one in five pregnant women smoke which is equal to 100,000 women at any one time. The campaign revealed that out of the 224 women questioned 28 % said they would seek help to quit smoking but had fears of being judged while 38 % said sometimes they hid their smoking because they felt people might criticize them. 39 % of the women said they were too ashamed to admit there habit to their midwife or healthcare professional. In a larger survey involving 2000 adults, 49% were found to be critical about a pregnant woman smoking.

Dr Miriam Stoppard, who is backing the campaign, felt women should be encouraged to quit instead of making them feel judged. She said, "Pregnant women who smoke do not automatically find it easy to stop smoking as soon as they become pregnant, often hiding their smoking rather than asking for help to quit, because they feel that they will be criticised.

"Pregnancy can be a particularly difficult time to stop smoking - and rather than stigmatising these women, we should be guiding them to their local NHS Stop Smoking Service for expert advice and support to help them quit."