5 Facts About the Effects of Secondhand Smoke on Babies. Can Smoking Cause Asthma in Toddlers and Affect a Developing Baby?
Why is secondhand smoke dangerous? Many people do not realize that being around someone who smokes can be seriously harmful to your health. Few are aware that when tobacco burns, two streams of smoke are produced. The main stream forms when the smoker “puffs,” passing through the cigarette, entering the lungs, and being exhaled as a second stream. Unfortunately, not many know that this second stream contains even more harmful substances.Advice:
To protect your baby’s health and limit exposure to secondhand smoke, we suggest taking our unique Parenting Mentor Test, which will help you develop the best strategy to prevent the effects of passive smoking on your child. Based on your results, you’ll receive detailed recommendations on how to shield your son or daughter from secondhand smoke, as well as tips to prevent them from starting to smoke in the future.
To protect babies from the harmful effects of tobacco smoke, here are 5 facts you may not know about the effects of secondhand smoke on children:
- Tobacco toxins affect all organs and body systems: including the lungs, heart and blood vessels, kidneys, liver, stomach, nervous system, and more. There is clear evidence linking passive smoking to the development of chronic diseases over time. Cigarette smoke inhaled by a child disrupts metabolism. The toxic substances in tobacco smoke can damage and kill brain cells, making children exposed to secondhand smoke more likely to be absent-minded, irritable, moody, and even experience behavioral changes. These exposures can also impair a child’s intelligence and slow physical development.
- The level of serum ascorbic acid (vitamin C) decreases in children exposed to secondhand smoke. The body’s store of vitamin C, an antioxidant, is depleted as it fights the free radicals from tobacco smoke. Children of smoking parents have, on average, 20% less vitamin C in their bodies. The more a parent smokes, the lower the child’s vitamin C level. Vitamin C helps protect against heart diseases and may prevent DNA changes that could lead to certain cancers. Low levels of this vitamin, combined with other risk factors, can result in health issues. Children constantly exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to develop chronic conditions and illnesses such as:
Persistent coughing: Passive smoking is a major cause of chronic coughing in children, often with purulent sputum. This could signal serious lung diseases and should not be ignored.
Tuberculosis: If anyone in the family has tuberculosis and at least one family member smokes, the risk of the child contracting tuberculosis significantly increases.
Meningitis: A child’s brain can be affected by meningococcal infection, leading to meningitis and sepsis.
Dental caries: Even if a child never puts a cigarette in their mouth, passive smoking raises their risk for dental caries.
Headaches: Secondhand smoke can cause persistent headaches, eye irritation, throat inflammation, and hoarseness.
Otitis (middle ear infection): According to German researchers, the risk of middle ear infection increases by 1.4 times in children exposed to secondhand smoke. Middle ear infection starts as an upper respiratory infection and is a serious infectious disease. - Secondhand smoke doesn’t only have immediate effects, but also leads to health issues later in life.
Some of these long-term problems include:
• Eye diseases, such as early cataracts;
• Heart defects;
• Poor lung development;
• Lung cancer;
• Allergies;
• Immune system disorders;
• Higher risk of infectious and viral diseases;
• Increased risk of leukemia (blood cancer);
• Cardiovascular diseases;
• Chronic bronchitis;
• Mental health problems—such as depression, anxiety, hyperactivity, and developmental delays. - Children exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to suffer from shortness of breath and coughing, and they usually take longer to recover from respiratory infections. Asthma often develops in children living with secondhand smoke, typically triggered by acute respiratory illnesses. Babies with low birth weight, toddlers under two, and children whose mothers smoke heavily are at greatest risk.
Smoking indoors is a major cause of childhood asthma: if one parent smokes, a child’s risk rises by 1.5 times. For very young children, the risk can be nearly 50% higher than for older children. Children with existing asthma who are exposed to secondhand smoke experience more frequent, longer, and more severe attacks. Passive smoking can cause persistent respiratory infections in children with asthma, making them prone to more hospitalizations and needing frequent lung treatments. - Anyone near or in the same room as a smoker inhales the same hazardous chemicals as the smoker. Over 80% of the harmful cigarette smoke is invisible. Even after finishing a cigarette, smokers continue to exhale toxic air, putting others at risk. Dangerous chemicals, including carbon monoxide, linger in the air for hours. Smoking near an open window or vent does not protect against toxic smoke. The smallest particles still remain indoors, harming the health of everyone in the room. Airing the room and using air filters is not very effective. Toxic substances can stay on clothing, furniture, and carpets for months, causing damage in ways we can’t always see.
Children whose parents or family members smoke are more likely to pick up the habit themselves as they grow up. They’re also more likely to be influenced by peers who smoke at school or college, meaning they may start smoking or be exposed to even more secondhand smoke from others.