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Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and serum thiocyanate level in infants
Y Chen1, L L Pederson, N M Lefcoe
1Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shanghai Medical University, People's Republic of China.
Insights
Infants exposed to secondhand smoke had higher serum thiocyanate (SCN) levels. This study highlights the impact of household smoking on infant health, indicating a direct correlation between passive smoke exposure and elevated SCN concentrations.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Biochemistry
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure is a significant environmental health concern, particularly for vulnerable populations like infants.
- Biomarkers such as serum thiocyanate (SCN) can indicate exposure to tobacco smoke.
- Understanding the impact of SHS on infant physiology is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between passive exposure to household cigarette smoke and serum thiocyanate (SCN) levels in infants.
- To quantify the association between the intensity of SHS exposure and SCN concentrations.
- To determine the proportion of variance in SCN levels attributable to SHS.
Main Methods:
- Serum SCN concentrations were measured in 80 infants from Shanghai, China.
- Infants were categorized into unexposed, lightly exposed (1-19 cigarettes/day), and heavily exposed (20+ cigarettes/day) groups based on family smoking.
- Statistical analysis, including adjusted regression, was used to assess the impact of SHS.
Main Results:
- Serum SCN levels were significantly higher in heavily exposed infants compared to unexposed infants (p < .05).
- Mean SCN levels increased with the intensity of SHS exposure.
- SHS accounted for 5.3% of the total variance in SCN levels, even after adjusting for paternal education and feeding type.
Conclusions:
- Passive exposure to cigarette smoke in the household leads to elevated serum SCN levels in infants.
- The findings underscore the detrimental health effects of SHS on infant biochemical markers.
- Public health strategies should focus on reducing household SHS exposure to protect infant health.
Abstract:
The authors measured the concentrations of serum thiocyanate (SCN) of 80 infants in Chang-Ning District, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. The infants were classified into one of three groups according to the total number of cigarettes family members collectively smoked per day: (1) unexposed, (2) lightly exposed (1-19 cigarettes/d), and (3) heavily exposed (20+ cigarettes/d). The serum SCN levels (mean +/- SD, mumol/l) were 27.7 +/- 10.72 for the unexposed group, 31.9 +/- 13.5 for the lightly exposed group, and 36.2 +/- 14.88 for the heavily exposed group. The concentrations in the heavily exposed group were significantly higher than those in the unexposed group (Z = 2.12, p less than .05). Environmental exposure to tobacco smoke accounted for 5.3% of total variance of the SCN levels after adjusting the effects of father's education level and type of feeding. It is concluded that passive exposure to cigarette smoke in the household results in higher levels of serum SCN in infants.