Arteries Damaged In Children Exposed To Second Hand Smoke

Second Hand Smoke Causes Artery Damage in Children

Smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the United States. Cigarette smoking accounts for almost 480,000 deaths per year in the United States. Second hand smoke (SHS) leads to the death of almost 53000 non-smokers in the U.S per year. For every 8 smokers who die due to smoking, one non-smoker dies as well, due to passive smoking.

As per a study published in the European Heart Journal, SHS can lead to thicker arteries in kids. This is an alarming situation as the thickening of blood vessel walls can significantly increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes subsequently.

For the study, about 2401 children from Finland in the 3-18 years age group were selected. Similarly, about 1375 children in the 9-15 years age group were selected from Australia. All the children were observed for a period of 25 years. After 25 years, the children, who were now grown-up adults, were subjected to ultrasound scan to examine the thickness of the large carotid arteries in their neck often referred to as carotid intima media thickness (IMT). A higher thickness of this artery implies that it can become blocked subsequently, leading to a stroke or a heart attack. The main purpose of the study, which went on for about 25 years, was to ascertain the impact of passive smoking on children.

The key findings of the study are listed below:

• The thickness of the carotid artery (IMT) was found to be the higher in the grown-up adults who were exposed to passive smoking by both the parents in comparison to the grown-up adults who were not exposed to passive smoking.
• Passive smoking due to one-parent smoking did not have much effect on the thickness of the carotid artery.
• A greater exposure to parental passive smoking over a period of three years considerably increased the chances of greater carotid IMT in grown-ups.
• The study also found that the vascular age in children exposed to both parents smoking was about 3.3 years more in comparison to their peers who were not exposed to smoke.

See Also: 10 Effects of Secondhand Smoke

The main conclusion of the study was that efforts should be made to discourage smoking in adults in order to curtail the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in the younger generation. The study further emphasizes the fact that exposure to passive smoke causes a direct and an irreversible damage to health of our children. Parents or would-be parents should decide to quit smoking as this will not only improve their own health but will also protect their children from the hazards of passive smoking in the future.

Effects of Passive Smoking on Children

Passive smoking can have serious irreversible implications on the health of children. Some of the health consequences for children due to exposure to second hand smoke are listed below:

• Asthma: Children who are exposed to second hand smoke are at risk of exhibiting symptoms of asthma. Second hand smoke can cause children, who have not previously exhibited any symptoms of being asthmatic, to become asthmatic. Frequent exposure to passive smoke can trigger asthmatic attacks and aggravate the symptoms of asthma in children. An exposure to second hand smoke in the pre-natal and post natal stages has been found to cause a 30-70% increase in the risk of wheezing among children. It has also being found to increase the risk of asthma by about 85%.
• Lower Respiratory tract infections: Studies have found that exposure to SHS can increase the risk of young infants developing lower respiratory tract infections by about 20 to 50%. Typical lower respiratory tract infections common in children include flu, pneumonia, and bronchitis.
• Middle ear infections: Various studies have suggested that exposure to maternal smoking can increase the risk of developing middle ear infections in children by more than 60%. As per a study in the UK, about 7.5% of the cases of middle ear infection in children were caused due to second hand smoke.
• Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy: Numerous studies have shown that one of the primary causes of sudden unexpected death in infancy (often called cot death or SIDS) is maternal smoke. Infants who have died due to SIDS have shown to exhibit higher amounts of nicotine in their lungs.
• Cognitive impairment: Children who are exposed to passive smoking are at a risk of developing cognitive impairment. Continuous exposure to passive smoking impairs their ability to learn. As per studies, approximately 21.9 million children are at a risk of developing reading disability due to exposure to second hand smoke. Researchers have also concluded that children born to mothers who used to smoke at least one pack of cigarette per day were at a risk of having an IQ 2.87 points lesser than the children born to non-smoking mothers.

Vulnerability of Children to Second Hand Smoke

Children are especially more vulnerable to passive smoking as they breathe more rapidly. They tend to inhale more pollutants in comparison to adults.

Children are also more prone to second hand smoke as they spend most of their time at home and indoors. Adults, on the contrary, can choose whether they want to be in a smoke-filled environment or not.

See Also: Should We Worry About Third-Hand Smoke?

Protecting Children from Second Hand Smoke

Some of the steps that you can take to ensure protection of your children from exposure to second hand smoke are listed below:

• Requesting people not to smoke in your home or car, especially when kids are around.
• Ensuring that people who tend to spend more time with your children for instance, the baby sitters, nannies, or even grandparents, do not smoke.
• Opting for smoke-free restaurants.
• Avoiding going to indoor places that allow public smoking.
• Teaching your children to ask people not to smoke in their presence or to move out if they find someone smoking in the vicinity.