Whether children smoke cigarettes, inhale secondhand smoke or contact smoke residue on clothing or household objects, tobacco holds many adverse health effects for their developing bodies. The risk to children begins in the womb.
Substances from firsthand or secondhand cigarette smoke can freely cross the mother's placenta and cause health problems in the fetus's body. The U.S. Surgeon General states that children inadvertently ingest many of the same carcinogens and toxins to which smokers voluntarily expose themselves.
Low Birth Weight
Babies can begin life at a developmental deficit or, worse, have their young lives ended prematurely due to contact with secondhand cigarette smoke. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that mothers who smoke or who contact secondhand smoke during pregnancy have a higher risk for delivering low birth weight babies. Low birth weight is a major cause of death in infants.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke after birth doubles children's risk for sudden infant death syndrome, commonly known as SIDS, according to the CDC. Women who smoke before and after pregnancy increase their babies' chances for death from SIDS by up to four times the normal rate. SIDS is the greatest cause of death in otherwise healthy babies during the first year of life.
Poor Lung Development
Children who encounter cigarette smoke in the womb or after birth have weaker lung function than normal. The Surgeon General notes that this puts them at risk for immediate and recurring health problems, such as bronchitis and pneumonia.
Chronic Symptoms
School age children experience respiratory health problems caused by secondhand smoke, including coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath, the surgeon general notes. These symptoms mimic the lesser signs of asthma. Children who do have asthma and encounter smoke suffer from serious asthmatic attacks more often.
Cardiovascular Effects
The nicotine and carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke affect the entire body by changing normal oxygen levels and damaging blood vessels. The National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that nicotine affects heart rate, blood pressure and breathing patterns.
The CDC reports that secondhand cigarette smoke causes coronary heart disease and can create serious health problems in people who already have heart disease. Short-term exposure is all it takes to increase the blood's clotting tendencies and raise the risk for heart attack.
Cancer Risk
Nicotine is just one of more than 50 carcinogenic chemicals in tobacco smoke. While it may take years for cancer to develop and be diagnosed, the CDC notes that contact with secondhand smoke can affect cell DNA, initiating the cancer growth process.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reminds smokers that carcinogenic particulate from smoking can be transported and ingested thirdhand. Children can contact these particles on the hair, clothes and body, or on household furniture, carpets and even dust.
References
- U.S. Surgeon General: Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke
- Centers for Disease Control: Impact on Children
- CDC: Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: Effects of Nicotine
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): Secondhand Smoke and Children
