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Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
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Childhood asthma and passive smoking. Urinary cotinine as a biomarker of exposure

R Ehrlich1, M Kattan, J Godbold

  • 1Department of Community Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York.

The American Review of Respiratory Disease
|March 1, 1992
PubMed

Insights

Maternal caregiver smoking is linked to childhood asthma. While not a trigger for acute attacks, this passive smoke exposure increases a child's risk for developing asthma.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Environmental Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Childhood asthma is a significant public health concern.
  • Passive smoking is a known environmental risk factor for respiratory illnesses.
  • Understanding the link between maternal smoking and childhood asthma is crucial for prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if passive smoking is more common in children with asthma compared to controls.
  • To investigate if tobacco smoke exposure is higher in children experiencing acute asthma attacks versus non-acute cases.
  • To assess the association between maternal caregiver smoking and childhood asthma prevalence and severity.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study involving 72 acute asthmatic children, 35 non-acute asthmatic children, and 121 control children.
  • Utilized questionnaires and urinary cotinine/creatinine ratio (CCR) to measure passive smoking exposure.
  • Defined passive smoke exposure using CCR levels (≥30 ng/mg) and compared mean CCR values between groups.

Main Results:

  • Maternal caregiver smoking was significantly more prevalent in asthmatic children (OR=2.0) compared to controls.
  • Passive smoke exposure, indicated by CCR ≥30 ng/mg, was also higher in asthmatic children (OR=1.9).
  • While mean CCR was higher in acute asthmatics, the difference was not statistically significant; no link was found for acute asthma triggers.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal caregiver smoking is associated with clinically significant asthma in children.
  • Passive smoke exposure from maternal caregivers is a risk factor for childhood asthma.
  • The study did not establish passive smoking as a direct trigger for acute asthma exacerbations.

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