CDC Reports That 1 in 14 Pregnant Women Still Smoke Cigarettes According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the younger and less educated the women are, the more likely they are to smoke while pregnant. These levels do vary widely by state, maternal age, race and Hispanic origin, and education, but any amount of smoking during pregnancy is too much. The numbers, which were based off data from 2016, are down three percent from 2011. Smoking during pregnancy has been proven to increase the risks of birth defects, increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome and more.