(McClatchy-Tribune Information Services) -- IT SEEMS SO WRONG -- smoking during pregnancy.

But some pregnant women smoke because they just can't stop, some because they are addicted and some know the dangers but just don't care.

The research is overwhelming that pregnant women put themselves and their babies at a much higher risk for serious health problems. For example, infants born to women who smoke are twice as likely to have a low birth weight.

The death rate for infants whose mothers smoked is also about twice the rate of nonsmokers.

What is amazing to me is one in seven women in Wisconsin still smoke during their pregnancy. That is according to a recent study by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Carbone Cancer Center.

The study says that's an improvement from 1990, when about one in four pregnant women smoked, but the decline in smoking has leveled off during the past two years. The smoking rate for pregnant women in the United States is 1 in 10.

The study found significant differences in smoking among different age groups. For example, 35 percent of white pregnant women ages 18 and 19 smoke, but only 8 percent of pregnant women older than 30 smoke.

The largest difference between groups is indicated by education -- 24 percent of women with a high school education or less smoked during their pregnancy, while only 2 percent of female college graduates smoked.

The La Crosse Medical Health Science Consortium's Scorecard Web site -- www.communityscorecard.com -- also has data about smoking and pregnancy and other health behaviors for 20 area counties.

Nathan Jones, director of survey services at the UW Carbone Cancer Center, said a 60 percent reduction is expected in state funds for the Wisconsin tobacco control program, which aims to prevent smoking among young women and to help smokers quit.

Paula Silha, coordinator of the La Crosse Area Health Initiative, said she is concerned about possible reductions in funding for tobacco prevention and cessation because it will mean cuts in youth prevention programs and efforts to help young people quit smoking.

Silha said many women who smoke say they are looking for a more personal approach to help them quit.

"But the lack of funding would jeopardize help on an individual basis," she said. "It's also worrisome that as the tobacco tax goes up, the money would be used for other budget needs instead of tobacco prevention and cessation."

With the smokefree workplace law going into effect next summer, more tobacco prevention and cessation funds should be allocated to help smokers quit, Silha said.

Copyright (C) 2009, La Crosse Tribune, Wis.