Secondhand Smoke Doubles Hospitalization Risk In Kids With Asthma

New findings published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology suggest that hospitalizations doubles for kids with asthma who are exposed to secondhand smoke.

"The results of this review serve as a reminder to parents of just how dangerous it is to expose their children to secondhand smoke," Avni Joshi, senior author and pediatric allergist and immunologist at Mayo Clinic Children's Center, said in a statement. "We knew that kids should not be exposed to tobacco, but how bad their asthma is likely to be with tobacco exposure was not clear. This study helped us quantify that risk, and so it informs as well as empowers us with the risk assessment. A child is twice as likely to end up in the hospital with an asthma flare if family members continue to smoke."

In this recent study, researchers reviewed 25 studies that examined smoke exposure that looked at over 430,000 children who were included in the review, with a median age of 7.6 years. Findings revealed that the majority of studies, or 96 percent, investigated smoking exposure at home.

"The study also illustrates the increased burden of disease on the health care system with increased rates of hospitalization," Joshi said. "The children are missing school if they are hospitalized, and the parents miss work. It is a big financial burden for the family, as well as for society. A child being hospitalized has a high risk of hospital-acquired infection, so I think this is fairly serious."

Related Articles

Secondhand Smoke Increases Diabetes Risk

For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).