THE number of Bracknell women who smoke while pregnant has dropped again over the past year.

Just 5.2 per cent of pregnant women said they carried on smoking while pregnant, less than half the average rate across the country which stands at 10.6 per cent of expectant mothers.

Revealed in new date released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre last month, the drop has been hailed as a success of Bracknell Forest Council's partnership with the Smoke free Life Berkshire scheme. 
The scheme delivers tailored stop smoking programmes for pregnant smokers and their partners.

Cllr Dale Birch, executive member for adult services, health and housing, said: "Helping people quit smoking and enabling them to lead a healthy and active lifestyle is a crucial goal for the council. It is particularly important to support pregnant women to quit, for their own health as well as that of their child. 

“We understand that quitting smoking can be difficult, but the risks of continuing to smoke during pregnancy are serious; they include miscarriage, stillbirth or sudden infant death.

"Having such a low rate of pregnant women smoking in the borough is an achievement - but we're not satisfied. Our target needs to be zero and we will continue working towards that."

In August 2015 the News reported Bracknell Forest saw the biggest drop in pregnant smokers in all of the south east. 

In 2013/14 the figure stood at 9.2 per cent.

Confidential advice and support is available at, http://www.smokefreelifeberkshire.com/ by phone on 0800 622 6360 or text QUIT to 66777.