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Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke by healthy children aged below five (Preliminary study)

Gözde İnci1, Serpil Uğur Baysal2, Ali Rıza Şişman3

  • 1Dokuz Eylül University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Izmir, Turkey.

Turk Pediatri Arsivi
|August 8, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Environmental tobacco smoke exposure is frequent in young children, with one-third identified as passive smokers. This exposure, measured by cotinine/creatinine ratios, significantly increases acute respiratory infections in children.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure is a significant health concern for children.
  • Assessing ETS exposure can be done through urinary cotinine/creatinine ratios and parental history.
  • Adverse health effects of passive smoking on child health require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate passive smoking exposure in healthy children aged one month to five years.
  • To determine the adverse health effects of passive smoking on this pediatric population.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of healthy children aged one month to five years was recruited.
  • Parental questionnaires gathered demographic data and information on respiratory tract infections.
  • Urinary cotinine and creatinine levels were measured to calculate cotinine/creatinine ratios, indicating ETS exposure.

Main Results:

  • 70.3% of households had smokers, and 50% of mothers were smokers.
  • Urinary cotinine/creatinine ratios were significantly higher in children of smokers (p=0.011).
  • One-third of the children were identified as passive smokers, with increased acute respiratory infections linked to home smoking presence (p=0.047).

Conclusions:

  • Preschool children exhibit frequent exposure to cigarette smoke.
  • This study highlights the prevalence of passive smoking and its association with increased respiratory infections in young children.
  • Findings contribute to national data and emphasize the need to raise awareness about the harmful effects of passive smoking on child health.
Abstract

Keywords:
Childcigarettecotinine in urineenvironmental tobacco smokepassive smokingsecond-hand smoking

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