Secondhand smoke can seriously affect the health of anyone, causing such problems as heart disease and lung cancer, but it is especially dangerous to infants whose immune systems are still developing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
SIDS
Babies exposed to secondhand smoke have an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome. In fact, when both parents smoke, the baby’s risk of SIDS is 3 1/2 times greater than if neither parent smokes, reports AskDrSears.com. Researchers believe secondhand smoke increases the chances of SIDS because the chemicals in secondhand smoke interfere with the brain’s regulation of breathing. Additionally, smoke toxins may interfere with heart regulations.
Lung Problems
Secondhand smoke causes a number of lung problems in infants. Secondhand smoke can slow lung growth, leading to a higher chance of bronchitis and pneumonia. Secondhand smoke increases the chances of asthma, and babies with asthma that are around secondhand smoke have more severe and frequent asthma attacks, cites the CDC.
Infections
Infants exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to have infections than infants that are not exposed. Secondhand smoke increases the number of common colds, sore throats and ear infections a baby is likely to have in childhood. Ear infections also last longer in infants exposed to secondhand smoke. Cough, sinusitis, rhinitis, postnasal drip and cystic fibrosis are also more likely.
Infectious Diseases
Exposure to secondhand smoke in early life also increases the chances of hospitalization for an infectious disease, found University of Hong Kong researchers who followed more than 8,000 children from birth to 8 years. The May 2008 article published in “Tobacco Control” found that exposure to secondhand smoke within a distance of 9.8 feet during an infant’s first six months increased the likelihood of a hospitalization by 45 percent by the time the child was 8 years old. Infants born premature or those with low birth weights had even higher chances of hospitalization when exposed to secondhand smoke.
Breast-feeding
Babies don’t have to inhale smoke to fall victim to the dangers of smoking if the mothers smoke and breast-feed. Smoking mothers produce less breast milk, and may stop breast-feeding earlier because of this. The chemicals in cigarettes and cigars decrease the amounts of iodine and fat in breast milk; this may limit babies’ growth and ability to fight infections. Further, these babies may cry more and have trouble sleeping after nursing.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke
- AskDrSears.com: 4 Ways Smoking Increases the Risk of SIDS
- American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery: Second Hand Smoke and Children
- "Tobacco Control"; Early Life Second-hand Smoke Exposure and Serious Infectious Morbidity During the First 8 Years: Evidence from Hong Kong’s “Children of 1997” Birth Cohort; M.K. Kwok, et al.; May 2008
- American Cancer Society: Smoking Can Affect Your Baby's Health
- Drugs.com: Effects Of Smoking, Alcohol, And Medicines On Breastfeeding
