Secondhand smoke is a combination of the smoke from a burning cigarette and the smoke exhaled by a smoker. Also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), it can be recognized easily by its distinctive odor. ETS contaminates the air and is retained in clothing, curtains and furniture. Many people find ETS unpleasant, annoying, and irritating to the eyes and nose. More importantly, it represents a dangerous health hazard. Over 4,000 different chemicals have been identified in ETS, and at least 40 of these chemicals cause cancer.
Although ETS is dangerous to everyone, fetuses, infants and children are at most risk. This is because ETS can damage developing organs, such as the lungs and brain.
Effect On The Fetus And NewbornMaternal, fetal, and placental blood flow change when pregnant women
smoke, although the long-term health effects of these changes are not known.
Some studies suggest that smoking during pregnancy causes birth defects
such as cleft lip or palate.
Smoking mothers produce less milk, and their babies have lower birth weight.
Maternal smoking also is associated with neonatal death from Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome, the major cause of death in infants between one month and
one year of age.
Exposure to ETS decreases lung efficiency and impairs lung function in
children of all ages. It increases both the frequency and severity of childhood
asthma. Secondhand smoke can aggravate sinusitis, rhinitis, cystic fibrosis,
and chronic respiratory problems such as cough and postnasal drip. It also
increases the number of children's colds and sore throats.
In children under two years of age, ETS exposure increases the likelihood
of bronchitis and pneumonia. These illnesses result in as many as 15,000
hospitalizations. Children of parents who smoke half a pack a day or more
are at nearly double the risk of hospitalization for a respiratory illness.
Exposure to ETS increases both the number of ear infections a child will experience, and the duration of the illness. Inhaled smoke irritates the eustachian tube, which connects the back of the nose with the middle ear. This causes swelling and obstruction which interferes with pressure equalization in the middle ear, leading to pain, fluid and infection. Ear infections are the most common cause of children's hearing loss. When they do not respond to medical treatment, the surgical insertion of tubes into the ears is often required.
Children of mothers who smoked during and after pregnancy are more likely to suffer behavioral problems such as hyperactivity than children of non-smoking mothers. Modest impairment in school performance and intellectual achievement have also been demonstrated.