The NHS plans to ask all pregnant women to take a carbon monoxide test in hospital to work out whether they or their partner smoke in an effort to reduce the danger to unborn babies.
One in 10 pregnant women were tobacco smokers at the time of delivery, putting them at greater risk of suffering a stillbirth.
Despite years of clear warnings on the dangers of lighting up while pregnant and the rates hitting a record low, the Mirror last year revealed NHS figures showed rates of smoking among expectant mothers had increased again for the first time on record.
Cuts to smoking-cessation services were blamed for the rise in the addictive habit among mums-to-be during 2017/18.
Now, the NHS plans to to offer the carbon monoxide test in hospital in an effort to persuade pregnant women to stop smoking and to address the risks of second-hand smoking in the household too, the Sunday Times reports.
Under the current approach, expectant mothers are asked if they smoke, leaving them able to choose whether or not to answer truthfully.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the number of women smoking while pregnant is at a record low, many women still suffered stillbirths as a result of their habit.
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"Today’s plans are about our continuing commitment to do everything in our power to address this, by supporting mums-to-be to quit, in pregnancy and for good.”
NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said some hospitals around the UK were already offering the smoking tests when a woman reaches the 12th week of pregnancy.
All hospitals will now be ordered to offer the tests at 12 weeks and 36 weeks in an effort to cut the number of stillbirths in the UK by half by 2025.
Stillbirth is the term used to describe when a baby dies after 24 weeks gestation.
Research from charity Tommy's shows nine babies are stillborn every day in the UK.
That's around one in 225 pregnancies, putting the tragic figure at more than 3,430 babies lost to stillbirth a year.
That puts Britain 24th out of 49 high-income countries, according to the figures.
Tommy's says studies show women who experience stillbirth can be twice as likely as women who carried a baby to full term to become depressed.
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Another study showed women who had suffered stillbirth or neonatal death were seven times more likely to develop post traumatic stress disorder.
While the causes for many stillbirths are unable to be explained, Tommy's says studies show for pregnant women who smoke 10 or more cigarettes a day the risk of stillbirth is 52 per cent higher than for women who don't smoke.
The risk of stillbirth is still 9 per cent higher for women who smoke between one and nine cigarettes are day during their pregnancies.
The College of Midwives praised the NHS' move to offer referrals for quit smoking specialist advice as part of the new measures and for targeting second-hand smoking risks too, the Sunday Times reported.
And the risks don't end at pregnancy.
The NHS warns that "passive smoking" - breathing in second-hand smoke thanks to someone else's habit - is not only unpleasant to be around: it is especially bad for kids' health.
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It is a risk factor in cot death (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) among newborn babies.
Children who live in a smoky house are also at higher risk of respiratory problems like chest infections, serious complications like pneumonia and bronchitis, more coughs and colds and ear infections, and in the long-term, higher likelihood of asthma, and allergies.
The NHS advises if someone in your house is smoking, the risk to children can be reduced by smoking outside.
A ban in smoking when children are in the vehicle was introduced in 2015.
But even when the family car isn't carrying any children, the NHS warns against allowing anyone to smoke inside as the toxic chemicals linger.
If you or someone in your household needs help quitting smoking, here is some advice from the NHS.
