[Passive smoking as a risk factor for allergic diseases in children]

The authors examined anamnestically, by interdermal tests with tobacco extract, by assessment of serum IgE and thiocyanates in saliva (according to David and Densen) 234 children with allergic diseases (rhinitis pollinosa, asthma bronchiale, dermorespiratory syndrome). They revealed a high ratio of positive tests in passive smokers (71.8% of the tested children), as compared with children not exposed to smoking (16.1% of the tested children). With advancing age of the probands the ratio of positive tests increased. The authors observed a significant difference in IgE concentrations in passive smokers of all age groups of children with the exception of those aged 1 to 3 years as compared with those not exposed to tobacco smoke. They found also significant differences in the thiocyanates concentrations in saliva between exposed and non-exposed children (223 and 126.4 mumol/l resp.). With regard to the above facts it is important to prevent exposure of predisposed as well as healthy children to cigarette smoke.