So says health minister Caroline Flint, according to Nursing Standard magazine. She reckons that young mothers-to-be have registered the message that smoking can lead to lower weight babies. And that has made it an attractive option for anyone fearful of the pain of labour.
The official line is that there is no evidence that smaller babies result in less painful labour than bigger ones. Pessimism is not a good trait. But the chances are young people may need a tad more persuading before they believe that.
What makes young people do what they do? A speaker at last week's Conservative Party conference advised delegates wanting to understand teenagers' behaviour. Go home and watch MTV for an hour, he told them. Or leaf through "lads' mags" in their local newsagent.
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