Give up to get pregnant

Scientists at the Institute of Health Sciences at Oxford University, UK, have published findings that say that women who smoke impair their fertility. Their report, published in the Journal of Biosciences, states that women who do not give up smoking before they try to become pregnant take significantly longer to conceive.

The scientists compared how long it took 569 women - some of whom smoked, some who had given up, and some who had never smoked - to get pregnant. They found that women who smoked took an average of two months longer to conceive than those who did not. Women who had given up smoking a year before they tried for a baby took no longer than those who had never smoked.

Lead researcher, Dr Marcus Munafo, said that 'the risks of smoking during pregnancy are well-documented... but many women may not be aware that by quitting, they are also greatly improving their chances of getting pregnant in the first place'. He added that the result of the study 'clearly shows a link between smoking and fertility problems'.