Smoking During Pregnancy Declining in Marion County

Mothers who smoke during pregnancy not only put themselves at risk, but also the baby. Many health problems have been linked to mothers who smoke during pregnancy. These include infants with low birth weight, premature birth, still birth, and pregnancy complications. While smoking while pregnant in Indiana remains higher than the national average, the percentage of mothers who smoke during pregnancy is decreasing. In 2008, 19% of mothers reported smoking in Indiana, and in 2012 it dropped to 16.5%. The national average was 10% in 2008 and dropped to 9% in 2012.

Percent of Mothers Who Reported Smoking During Pregnancy

14.2% of mothers reported smoking during pregnancy in Marion County in 2012. The county in Indiana reporting the highest percentage was Switzerland County at 33.9%, and the county reporting the lowest was Hamilton County at 3.9%. Take a look at this map created by KIDS COUNT that shows the geographic distribution of mothers who smoked while pregnant.

Mothers Who Reported Smoking During Pregnancy (2012)

Source: Indiana Youth Institute

Using SAVI, you can dive into these data even more. 2013 birth data is now available on the SAVI website, allowing you to explore changes and patterns at a small geographic area within Marion County. These data date back to 2003. Here are time series charts showing the slight decrease in the percentage of births where mother smoked during pregnancy in the majority of school corporations in Marion County.

   This is just one of the many birth related indicators recently updated on the SAVI website. Go to www.savi.org to access all the birth related indicators and more.  Sources: SAVI Community Information System, Marion County Public Health Department, Indiana State Health Improvement Plan, Indiana State Department of Health, Indiana Youth Institute