Smoking while pregnant is the leading cause of preventable infant morbidity and mortality, as well as pregnancy complications . More than a quarter of women aged from 12 to 44 years in their first month of pregnancy report active cigarette smoking—and this prevalence is no lower than the rate among nonpregnant women aged 12 to 44 who are not pregnant . Effective smoking cessation programs targeted at pregnant women can substantially reduce maternal and infant health outcomes, including infant mortality . Although pregnant women who smoke have a higher quit rate during their pregnancy than any other time in their lives , only one-third of women are able to remain abstinent . The high burden of disease associated with smoking during pregnancy coupled with the critical window of opportunity for cessation interventions generates substantial interest in research on pregnant smokers .