The Asthma Foundation of Western Australia is a community based, non-profit organisation dedicated to the alleviation of asthma as a cause of morbidity and mortality in our community. The Foundation has a range of educational and support services to help people with asthma, along with their carers. The Asthma Foundation of WA is also home to various important projects including the Newborns Asthma Parental Smoking (NAPS) Project, Asthma Friendly Schools project, Adult Asthma Swim and the Triple E program for school aged children.
The NAPS Project promotes the message “Care for my air!” and encourages pregnant women, new mothers and their families to protect the foetus and newborn from passive smoke. Currently 17.1% of women in Australia smoke during pregnancy. Exposure to tobacco smoke whilst pregnant can increase the risk of asthma, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), the baby being born an unhealthy birth weight, miscarriage or premature labour, perinatal mortality, difficult births and a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy.
The $10,000 received from the James N. Kirby Foundation has enabled the project to purchase a variety of resources that promotes the “Care for my air!” message.
The (NAPS) Project attended the Parents, Babies and Children’s Expo for 3 days in August. Whilst our display received strong, positive feedback, it was the “Care for my air!” packs, along with baby’s bibs displaying the message “Care for my air!” that proved to be very popular.
The Asthma Foundation of WA would like to thank the James N. Kirby Foundation, whose generous donation and support of the Newborns’ Asthma Parental Smoking Project has enabled the project to continue to help pregnant mothers to quit smoking to help reduce the risk of the baby developing asthma, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or being born an unhealthy birth weight.
Amy Murphy
Health Promotion Officer