More than 15 per cent of women who gave birth in the Western NSW Local Area Health District (WNSWLHD) smoked during the second half of their pregnancy, according to NSW Health’s 2016 statistics.

That figure is even higher in the 2800 postcode, with the state government’s healthstats website revealing that 17.6 per cent of Orange mothers-to-be smoked in the period from 2014 to 2016.

That figure is marginally higher than both Blayney (16.5 per cent) and Cabonne (16.1 per cent).

Smoking in pregnancy raises the risk of ectopic pregnancy – a complication in which the embryo attaches outside the uterus – and miscarriage, giving birth prematurely, or a small and unwell baby.

In the most tragic cases, these babies die during or shortly after birth.

A total of 448 mothers from the WNSWLHD – of which Orange is a part – smoked between one and 10 cigarettes a day while heavily pregnant, with a further 115 smoking more than 10 a day.

The remaining 3128 who gave birth didn’t smoke at all in the second half of their pregnancy.

The data was part of the annual Mothers and Babies report – released last week – which showed two and a half times more pregnant women from Western NSW smoked compared to the state average of 6 per cent.

Dr Michelle Cretikos, NSW Health’s director of Population Health Clinical Quality and Safety, said the declines in pregnancy smoking rates were very encouraging, and suggested concerted campaigns and programs embedded in antenatal services were helping pregnant women quit smoking.

“We know that smoking in pregnancy is harmful to both the mother and the baby and the best thing women can do for their babies is to stop smoking,” Dr Cretikos said.

Data from Australian Health Tracker indicated there were 6446 smokers in the combined Orange and Canobolas region.