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Pregnant teens don't quit smoking for sake of baby  

NEARLY half of Australia's teenage mothers smoke during pregnancy, a study has found. And only one in 15 teenage smokers quits after they get pregnant, despite proof that smoking past the 20th week of gestation leads to a sicklier baby that weighs significantly less and is prone to chronic diseases later in life.

But the researchers say they are taking some positives out of the research, published in The Medical Journal of Australia.

"It shows that women should be encouraged to give up smoking throughout their pregnancy, because there are positive benefits (from doing so) the whole way through, especially before halfway," said associate professor Elizabeth Sullivan from the University of NSW's School of Women's and Children's Health.

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