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Impact Assessment of Repeated Exposure of Organotypic 3D Bronchial and Nasal Tissue Culture Models to Whole Cigarette Smoke
Published on: February 12, 2015
[Pre and postnatal tobacco exposure and bronchiolitis]
J Cano Fernández1, C Zabaleta Camino, E de la Torre Montes de Neira
1Sección de Lactantes B. Unidad de Epidemiología. Hospital Universitario del Niño Jesús. Madrid. España.
Insights
Maternal smoking during pregnancy significantly increases a child's risk of developing bronchiolitis. This study highlights prenatal tobacco exposure as a key factor in infant respiratory illness.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
- Environmental Health
- Epidemiology
Context:
- Bronchiolitis is a common pediatric respiratory infection, particularly in infants.
- Tobacco smoke exposure is a known environmental risk factor for respiratory illnesses in children.
- Understanding specific exposure periods and their impact is crucial for prevention strategies.
Purpose:
- To investigate the association between pre- and postnatal tobacco exposure and the incidence of bronchiolitis in hospitalized children.
- To identify specific risk factors related to parental smoking habits and maternal smoking during pregnancy.
- To quantify the risk of bronchiolitis associated with different levels of tobacco exposure.
Summary:
- A case-control study involving 450 children found that 27.3% were diagnosed with bronchiolitis.
- Children with at least one smoking parent had a higher incidence of bronchiolitis (32.9%) compared to those with non-smoking parents (18.2%).
- Maternal smoking during pregnancy emerged as the most significant risk factor, with a 44% hospitalization rate for bronchiolitis versus 20.9% in unexposed children (OR 2.96). Multivariant analysis confirmed smoking during pregnancy as the primary significant variable (p < 0.00001; OR 3.27).
Impact:
- Findings underscore the critical importance of maternal smoking cessation during pregnancy to reduce the incidence of infant bronchiolitis.
- Provides strong evidence for public health interventions targeting pregnant smokers to mitigate risks of pediatric respiratory infections.
- Highlights the need for increased awareness among healthcare providers and parents regarding the detrimental effects of prenatal tobacco smoke exposure on infant respiratory health.
Objectives:
To determine the influence of pre- and postnatal tobacco exposure in the development of bronchiolitis.
Patients And Methods:
A questionnaire was given to the parents of children hospitalized between August 2001 and August 2002. It included items on parental smoking habits and maternal smoking during pregnancy. Clinical, analytical and radiological criteria were used to diagnose bronchiolitis.
Results:
Of 450 children, 123 (27.3 %) were diagnosed with bronchiolitis. The control group was composed of 327 children. A total of 61.6 % of the children had at least one parent who smoked and 32.9 % of these children developed bronchiolitis; 39.1 % had non-smoking parents and 18.2 % were hospitalized with bronchiolitis (OR 2.20 [1.39-3.47]). Of the entire group of children studied, 35.3 % had mothers who smoked and 37.7 % of these children had bronchiolitis compared with 21.4 % of children whose mothers were non-smokers (OR 2.22 [1.45-3.39]). A total of 49.6 % had fathers who smoked, and 32.3 % of these children were diagnosed with bronchiolitis compared with 22 % of children whose fathers were non-smokers (OR 1.65 [1.10-2.57]). Forty-four percent of children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy were hospitalized with bronchiolitis compared with only 20.9 % of non-exposed children (OR 2.96 [1.90-4.62]). The large number of mothers who smoked during pregnancy (27.8 %) was notable. Multivariant analysis with logistic regression was performed and the only variable that remained statistically significant was smoking during pregnancy (p < 0.00001; OR 3.27 [1.39-7.71]).
Conclusions:
Maternal smoking during pregnancy seems to be the main risk factor for the subsequent development of bronchiolitis
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