Baby & Me Tobacco Free

Rocky Mountain Health Foundation has had oversight of this statewide smoking cessation program for pregnant women throughout Colorado.  It’s called the BABY & ME – Tobacco Free Program (BMTFP) and has been offered to mothers since 2007.

BABY & ME – Tobacco Free Program is an evidence-based smoking cessation program aimed at helping low-income pregnant women quit smoking during pregnancy and maintain their abstinence through teaching, support, and offering free diapers as incentives. Family members can also participate allowing for incentives to be doubled.

Smoking during pregnancy is still the number one reason mothers deliver low birth weight babies.  BMTFP lowers the rate a baby’s born prematurely, being born too small, and needing to be admitted into neonatal intensive care units.

BMTFP success rates are one of the highest in the nation with Colorado being the first to take the program statewide. To get a glimpse of the impact, here are a few details:

• • 4,000+ women enrolled
  • 85% low-income mothers
  • Quit rates 83% at 3^rd trimester
  • Average reported birth weight 7.05 lbs. – same as nonsmokers
  • Lower birth weight babies
  • Lower preterm births – tobacco still #1 cause of preterm births
  • Lower NICU admissions
  • 18 Million Dollar savings in 18 months                                                                                   

How the Program Works

• Pregnant women enroll in the program, attend 4 Prenatal Cessation Sessions, quit smoking, and confirm they are tobacco free with a breath test each visit.
• They are eligible for $25 diaper vouchers Prenatal Session 3 & 4 if they test tobacco free. Total value of prenatal incentive – $50
• After the baby is born, stay tobacco-free, eligible for 12 months of $25 diaper vouchers, 1 per month, breath test each visit total of 14 months of free diapers.
• If a smoking partner who lives in the home and enrolls with the mother, they too receive diaper vouchers – another 14 months of free diapers, totaling 28 free diaper vouchers.