Everyone feels that smoking is bad, especially for youngsters. But what are the possible effects of secondhand smoke on children, particularly the infant and secondhand smoke? Let’s take a look at the health effects on a child who is exposed to secondhand smoke.

Secondhand smoke is the name of the smoke that is emitted by a lit cigarette mixed with the smoke that is exhaled by a smoker engaged in the process of smoking. This method of involuntary exposure affects all those who are near a smoker, and thus of course children. The effect can be seen during pregnancy, even before a child is born. Studies have shown that prenatal exposure to nicotine, as it is contained in cigarette smoke, will lead to low birth weight in a newborn. Additionally, it may contribute to prenatal death and resulting miscarriage. After the infant has been born, secondhand smoke has been linked to the much-feared sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) which causes healthy infants less than one year of age to die without recognizable causation. Children who survive their infancy and later on develop asthma will find their attacks to be more acute than those of their counterparts who live in smoke free environments. Because of the toxins that are exhaled as well as released from a lit cigarette, children who are exposed to secondhand smoke frequently develop respiratory tract infections such as chronic bronchitis, postnasal drip, and frequent colds. Of course, there are also other health risks, such as an increased risk of ear infections and sore throats, and these are only a smattering of the effects of secondhand smoke on children.

Nonetheless, the most severe damage done by tobacco smoke to children is the damage inflicted on their lungs. An infant and secondhand smoke are a hurtful combination. Infants who were exposed to nicotine prior to birth, regularly have limited lung functions, which is the reason they are more susceptible to succumbing to SIDS after birth. One of the reasons why infants are so negatively affected by secondhand smoke is that their breathing rate is quicker than an adult’s breathing rate, and thus, by weight, they are receiving a larger amount of secondhand smoke and all its toxins than an adult would. Add to this factor the developmental immaturity of a baby’s lungs and it is clear that so many hospitalizations can be directly traced to a parent’s smoking around the children.

Another issue to think about is the quantitative exposure of kids to cigarette smoke. Usually smokers have other smokers within their close circle of friends and acquaintances and choose not to regulate smoking to the garage or any other location away from the children. Thus, a child is often not only exposed to a parent’s or caregiver’s secondhand smoke, but also to that of their friends, family, and other adults. Sadly, children who are exposed regularly to secondhand smoke will be at a high risk of developing lung cancer, following in the footsteps of their smoking parents and caregivers. It may be that the worst aspect of smoking related hospitalizations in children who were exposed to secondhand smoke is the fact that this could have been summarily avoided, especially the cases that involve an infant and secondhand smoke. Do not wait until it is too late and the effects of secondhand smoke on children are permanent. Make sure your kids stay in environments that are smoke-free. Put the respiratory health of your kids ahead of the risks involved with smoke exposure. Control your child’s opportunities for secondhand smoke exposure, and quit smoking before it is too late!