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Smoking, nicotine and pregnancy 3 (SNAP3) trial: protocol for a randomised controlled trial of enhanced support and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) offered for preloading, lapse recovery and smoking reduction in pregnancy

K. Campbell, Miranda Clark, Alan Montgomery, Chris Partlett, Anne Dickinson, Lucy E. Bradshaw, Matthew Jones, Yue Huang et al.

BMJ Open, 2025

1,430 participants

Abstract

Introduction Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) helps pregnant women quit smoking. Usual National Health Service (NHS) cessation care in pregnancy starts only after women stop smoking and comprises behavioural support and NRT. NRT is stopped if women restart smoking. We hypothesised that NRT would have a bigger effect on cessation in pregnancy if used: (1) to reduce smoking before quitting (‘preloading’), (2) during brief smoking lapses after quitting and (3) to help those who cannot stop smoking, to reduce instead. Methods and analysis A two-arm parallel group, open-label, multicentre, assessor-blind randomised controlled trial. Participants are recruited at hospital antenatal clinics and other NHS settings throughout England and Wales or via social media advertising. Those enrolled are in antenatal care, <25 weeks’ gestation, smoke ≥5 daily cigarettes; accept referral for NHS stop smoking support and agree to set quit dates, try NRT and vape less than daily. Participants are randomised to: (1) usual care (UC) or (2) UC plus an intervention combining (1) NRT for preloading, (2) counselling to continue NRT during brief smoking lapses, and for those who cannot stop, (3) NRT to reduce smoking. The primary outcome is biochemically validated, smoking abstinence from 6 weeks after randomisation to 36 weeks gestation. Secondary outcomes include birth outcomes and cost per quality-adjusted life year. Questionnaires collect follow-up data augmented by medical record information. We…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 1,430 participants or records.

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