EVERY baby is precious, but Somerset mum Emma Vokes and her partner Lee treasure every second with their "pure rainbow" son.

After Emma suffered the heartache of two miscarriages, the couple feared they might never have a baby.

But following her third pregnancy, Leo was born healthy on July 3 this year.

Emma is one of almost 1,700 people supported by the county's Mums2Be Smokefree to give up tobacco in the past five years.

The service has five stop smoking practitioners across Somerset who support expectant parents to give up smoking.

Through free long-term support, medication, home visits and phone contact, it has helped 78 per cent of people using the service to quit at 12 weeks, with 82 per cent of those remaining non-smoking at their baby's birth.

And that means babies in Somerset are less likely to be admitted to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit due to smoking in pregnancy.

The Smokefree initiative costs an estimated £374 per person to run, compared to the thousands of pounds needed to cover the cost of an NICU stay.

At any given time, there is an average of 430 people using the service.

Emma didn’t realise she was pregnant and continued smoking, but then experienced a miscarriage which prompted her to make the change.

She said: “I had not long restarted smoking so I did decide to quit as I wanted a family.

"Miscarrying if anything showed me that I did want that life so I did want to quit so I could protect my baby.

“Steph, my coach, was always very understanding and would explain everything to me, such as any medications that were available.

"She didn’t make me feel pressured at all, but was very comforting.

"To other mums in my position I would say definitely get the help, don’t be afraid, it’s not worth any risk.

"It’s not an easy journey, but once you get in the journey it gets much easier and you’ve just got to stay strong for your baby - just reach out.”

Emma, whose partner Lee also quit smoking, added: "The miscarriages were the worst experiences of my life.

"Leo is just my everything. When you've had two losses, it makes that pure rainbow baby that extra special."

Figures suggests babies of smoking parents are at least 20 per cent more at risk of being admitted to an NICU than those who do not smoke.

And babies whose parents smoke are likely to stay longer in an NICU.

Smokers are less likely to breast/chestfeed, which is closely linked to health inequalities.

Tracey Hellyar, the team leader for Mums2Be Smokefree in Somerset, said: “We use a combination of incentives such as shopping vouchers, medication and one-to-one support to assist people to give up smoking.

"Smoking is the most modifiable risk factor in pregnancy and I always see it as twofold.

"We are not just supporting somebody to quit, we are supporting the whole family unit to be smokefree.

"So when we see the family at that final postnatal visit, with their baby in their arms, you feel proud to have been part of their smokefree journey.”

Stephanie Dummackin, one of the county's Mums2Be Stop Smoking practitioners, said: “Our success rate is high and we are really doing what we set out to do.

"There are risks through pregnancy, labour and once baby is born, so stopping at any point is beneficial.

"For people who smoke, there is an increased risk of intervention in labour and birth, including induction because the baby is small, and an increased risk of infection post birth.

“As well as miscarriage and stillbirth, smoking increases that risk that baby can actually die.

"It's quite blunt and harsh to say this, but that’s the reality of the risk.

"We are making people aware that quitting is the best decision.

"Out of anything that you can do in your pregnancy, this is the biggest choice you can make to limit the long list of smoking-related risks.”

Emma and Lee are certainly pleased they gave up smoking and are looking forward to their fist Christmas together with little Leo.

"My message to couples planning a pregnancy is for both of you to quit smoking so you're in a completely smokefree environment," said Emma.

"It allows your body to detox so that your pregnancy can be a healthy one.

"Leo was very much wanted by everyone around me and he's brought us so much happiness."