Purpose: To extend current knowledge of tobacco use by exploring whether subsets of mothers of infants have unique triggers for smoking relapse during the early stages of becoming a mother.
Method: Using data from a study of smoking relapse among mothers of infants (N = 133), comparative analyses were conducted for groups formed on the basis of their intention to be nonsmokers after delivery (yes/no) and their actual smoking behavior during the first 2 weeks of infant life (yes/no).
Findings: The identified groups of mothers were found to be significantly different from one another in several ways, including self-reports that their baby's crying episodes caused them to think about smoking and their level of self-confidence to not smoke as response to infant crying.
Conclusions: Pediatric nurses in primary and acute care settings are in a unique position to support mothers for whom the challenge of handling infant cry episodes is a trigger for smoking behavior. Interventions that teach mothers how to cope with infant irritability are likely to support the smoking cessation efforts, and consequently, interrupt the intergenerational cycle of tobacco-related maternal and child health morbidities.