Secondhand Smoke Exposure is Twice as Likely to Cause Allergies in Infants

According to recent research conducted by the campaigning charity ASH, babies exposed to secondhand smoke are nearly twice as likely to develop allergies to inhaled allergens such as dust and animal dander when compared to infants who are not exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke. In addition, the study found that children of smoking parents were almost 50% more likely to develop food allergies.

These findings were based on survey responses from more than 4000 families about their children’s’ allergies and the environmental factors they were exposed to both before and after birth. These surveys revealed that 1 in 12 mothers smoked throughout pregnancy and 1 in 8 smoked during only a part of their pregnancy. Researchers of the study concluded that there was a dose-response effect for secondhand smoke exposure during the first few weeks of life, and these were considered markers for allergen sensitization. In addition, the effects of secondhand smoke were stronger among children of non-allergic parents than among those with parents who suffered from allergies.

This recent study corroborates the findings of past studies which have shown the harmful impact of secondhand on children in the early years of development, and medical experts are encouraging smoking parents to make an effort to keep their homes as smoke-free as possible, as simply restricting smoking to certain rooms of homes offers little protection to infants and young children from the effects of secondhand smoke.