Following the studies in the late 50s and early 60s linking cigarette usage to lung cancer, further studies were conducted to determine possible other harmful effects of smoking. Though conclusive studies would not be drawn until the 70s and 80s, doctors began showing signs of concern in the 60s and told several expecting mothers to stop smoking. Women, for the most part, ignored this information. In the book Karen by Marie Killilea, released in the 1993, Killilea writes about her early 60s pregnancy and her OB offering her a cigarette. She smoked regularly during her pregnancy but gave birth to a healthy child. In 1964, about 42% of adults smoked — a figure that has fallen to less than 20% now. 

Trends indicate that smoking amongst pregnant women fell off rapidly after the 70s, with the percentage of births to women who smoked dropping from 19.5% in 1989 to 10.2% in 2004. 

• footnote - by Natasha Simons

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