CHILLICOTHE― It may sound too good to be true but expecting mothers can earn free diapers by quitting smoking as part of the Ross County Health District's The Baby & Me– Tobacco Free Program.

The program was recently designated a “Best Practice” by the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP). Programs with this designation have been reviewed by experts in the public health field as proven effective.

The Baby & Me– Tobacco Free Program is a smoking cessation program for pregnant women and their families. It helps pregnant women and a support partner quit smoking while pregnant and then remain quit after the baby is born. Through a series of face-to-face counseling sessions women and their families are given the tools and support needed to make a successful quit attempt and are rewarded with free diapers in the form of a diaper voucher for their success. Research has shown that incentives, such as diapers, are a unique and positive motivator to aid in behavior change. The RCHD knows that encouraging pregnant women to quit smoking is vital to ensuring the best birth outcomes.

Pregnant women who smoke have an extra motivation to quit- the health of their unborn child. Smoking during pregnancy can lead to low birthweights infants and premature birth. In the longer term maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with a range of poor outcomes in children including ADHD and cognitive dysfunction. Children who grow up in smoke-free homes enjoy many health benefits so it is equally important to remain tobacco-free.

“This “Best Practice” designation is further confirmation that investing in healthy children begins with offering tailored support to pregnant women and their families," said Laurie Adams, President and founder of the program. "Many pregnant women who smoke are consumed by guilt and wish they could quit. We offer a way for these women to realize their dream of being free from the grip of tobacco addiction, at a time when it matters most to not only their health, but the health of their unborn children.”

For those interested in helping the next generation live tobacco-free and learning more about The Baby & Me– Tobacco Free Program, including finding out where to go locally to enroll contact Amie Unger of the Ross County Health District at 740-779-9652 or visit the Baby and Me website.