The latest Kids Count report shows more pregnant women are smoking in Michigan.
The number is up 18% statewide in the last 6 years. It's up 64% in Jackson, 166% in Lansing. The head of the Kids Count project says the best way to lower that rate is to keep people from starting smoking in the first place. She wants the state to help out more.
The CDC says women who smoke while pregnant are more likely to have a miscarriage, have a baby born too early, or have a low birth-weight baby. Those kids are also more likely to have a cleft-lip or palate.
Smoking during pregnancy is also a risk factor for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
