Secondhand smoke and infants
The health risks of smoking are well established, both for smokers and the people who are routinely exposed to their secondhand smoke, including infants. Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, many of which are extremely toxic and can cause cancer.
Newborns are especially vulnerable to secondhand smoke, in part because they breathe faster and partly because their systems are still developing, making them more vulnerable to the chemicals in the smoke. Secondhand smoke exposure in infants has been linked to:
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS): According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, infants exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk for SIDS. This is likely due to the chemicals and toxins in secondhand smoke affecting the brain and altering the breathing of infants. Research has also shown that infants who have died from SIDS have significantly higher levels of nicotine in their lungs in comparison to infants who have died from other causes.
Low Birth Weight: A U.S. Surgeon General’s report found that newborns whose mothers were exposed to secondhand smoke were more likely to have a lower birth weight. This can predispose newborns to other types of health problems, including infections, developmental delay, and learning difficulties later in life.
Respiratory Tract Infections: Infants who are exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to suffer from respiratory infections, particularly pneumonia and bronchitis. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that approximately 150,000-300,000 infants up to 18 months of age develop lower respiratory infections as a direct result of exposure to secondhand smoke. Of these affected infants, nearly 15,000 will require hospitalization.
Wheezing: Secondhand smoke can trigger wheezing attacks in infants who have a known history of wheezing and is even thought to cause asthma as children get older.
Ear Infections: Infants are at an increased risk of ear infections, the leading cause of visits to see a doctor, if they are exposed to secondhand smoke.
There are no levels of secondhand smoke that are considered risk-free, as even brief exposures can have negative effects on the health of a newborn or infant.
Takeaways
- The developing bodies of infants make them more susceptible to the effects of secondhand smoke.
- The toxins in secondhand smoke increase a newborn’s risk of SIDS.
- When mothers are exposed to secondhand smoke, they give birth to newborns with a lower birth weight. This increases a baby’s risk for other health problems.
- Secondhand smoke is associated with a higher risk of respiratory infections in infants.
I wish more smokers knew that the smoke left clinging to their clothes was just as harmful to babies! A friend of mine has two boys with acute asthma that their doctor has attributed to her husbands secondhand smoke. So sad and unnecessary.
We all have walked next to, or stood beside someone who has or is smoking and I will speak for myself when I say that the smell and the smoke itself are extremely offensive. What makes any parent, caregiver, or family member think that children or babies want to smell that or be around it? I am a nurse and when I go into a room to check my patient or prepare them for surgery, I can sometimes smell the smoke from outside the door. YES! True story, and no they obviously are not smoking in the hospital, they just smoke that much everywhere else and so often that they are walking ash trays. If i can barely breath being close to these families for just 5-10 minutes, their children, yet probably used to it, can hardly breath as well. It is unfortunate that these young children already have compromised oxygen carrying capacities in their blood. We can tell by the grayish tint to their mucous membranes (gums, lips, etc). They should be bright and healthy looking. Hopefully in this new year something will change for these children. Probably not but at least we can hope!
I myself do not smoke but have many family members who do. Even though I do not allow them to smoke around her and make them wash their hands it is still on their clothes. Is this still harmful to her?
Yes! Be sure to tell your family that even the chemicals that cling to their clothes after they smoke is harmful. It’s great that you ask them not to smoke around her, as this is the first step to keeping her safe. While it may be an inconvenience for them, perhaps they could change clothes after they smoke so that they do not bring all of the harmful chemicals anywhere near her.