MORE than 100 women who gave birth at Barnsley Hospital at the end of last year - more than one in ten of all pregnancies - were confirmed to be smokers, new figures have revealed.

The statistics from NHS Digital show a rise in the proportion of mothers known to be smokers in the last three months of 2021, the most recent period for which figures are available.

Of 721 maternities recorded, 114 involved women who were smokers - 15.8 per cent.

In the three-month period preceding this, there were 768 maternities, 96 of whom - 12.5 per cent - were smokers.

Compared to the same period in 2020, the proportion of smokers has risen - from 97 of 709, or 13.7 per cent.

But overall figures for the year, which begins in April and is so far covered up to December in the latest statistics, indicate a slight downturn.

From April to December, 299 of 2,158 women - 13.9 per cent - were smokers, suggesting leaders’ attempts to tackle the issue are making positive strides.

In 2020/21, 388 of 2,736 mothers - 14.2 per cent - were smokers at the time of delivery, while in the year prior, 424 of 2,901 mothers - 14.6 per cent - smoked.