Vaping before, during and after pregnancy

This page provides resources and information about vaping (using e-cigarettes) before, during and after pregnancy. In the short and medium term, vaping poses a small fraction of the risks of smoking. However, vaping is unlikely to be risk-free, particularly for people who have never smoked.

Smoking tobacco at any point during pregnancy can harm the developing baby. Stopping smoking is one of the best things women and their partners can do to protect the health of their baby through pregnancy and beyond.

While licensed nicotine replacement (NRT) products such as patches, gum and inhalators are the recommended option, vapes appear to be more effective for smoking cessation than nicotine patches. Regular use of vapes or NRT during pregnancy does not appear to be associated with any adverse effects in mothers or their babies. If a pregnant woman chooses to vape and it helps her to quit smoking and stay smokefree, she should be supported to do so.

Further information and supporting evidence is available in the Challenge Group resources below.

These resources have been designed by the Smoking in Pregnancy Challenge Group to inform health professionals and support conversations with pregnant women who smoke and are inquiring about vapes. The resources will be updated in line with any updates to NICE guidance or significant evidence updates. The ‘Infographic for pregnant women‘ was developed in collaboration with Tommy’s.

Disclaimer: None of the Challenge Group’s resources have input from organisations with vested interests in the vaping or tobacco industries

December 2024 update:

• Vaping before, during and after pregnancy: A guide for maternity and other healthcare professionals
• Vaping before, during and after pregnancy: Key messages for maternity and other healthcare professionals
• E-cigarettes in pregnancy: Infographic for pregnant women and families (A5)
• The previous version of the infographic is available (online only) in the following languages. Translations of the current version will be available in due course: Regular version: Bulgarian | Polish | Punjabi | Romanian | Urdu | Print version: Bulgarian | Polish | Punjabi | Romanian | Urdu

Physical copies of these resources can be ordered by midwifery teams via this order form.

Please note: These resources should be ordered by maternity units to be used consistently across the service. If we get very small requests we may need to follow this up with your service manager.

The National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training (NCSCT) have developed briefings and free online training on the use of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation:

• NCSCT. E-learning: Vaping: a guide for healthcare professionals.
• NCSCT. Advice to services on making vaping products available to clients: Making the case and addressing concerns. 2023.
• NCSCT. Working with vape shops. A guide for commissioners and stop smoking services.
• NCSCT. Stopping smoking in pregnancy: A briefing for maternity care providers. 2019.

• Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. Nicotine vaping in England: 2022 evidence update.
• Hajek P et al. Electronic cigarettes versus nicotine patches for smoking cessation in pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial. 2022. NIHR plan language summary available here.
• Pesola F. et al. Safety of e-cigarettes and nicotine patches as stop-smoking aids in pregnancy: Secondary analysis of the Pregnancy Trial of E-cigarettes and Patches (PREP) randomised controlled trial. Addiction. 2024. Press release available here.
• Hartmann-Boyce J. et al. Cochrane review: Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation. 2022
• Royal College of Midwives. Position statement: Support to Quit Smoking in Pregnancy.
• ROSPA: Use of e-cigarettes (vaping) in the home: advice for parents.
• ‘Making the Switch’ – short films for smokers considering a move to vaping developed by the New Nicotine Alliance and the NCSCT
• NICE guideline [NG209]. Tobacco: preventing uptake, promoting quitting and treating dependence. Recommendations on treating tobacco dependence in pregnant women.