Banning Smoking At Home Protects InfantsJuly 30, 2003Banning smoking in the home leads to a small but meaningful fall in infant exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, whereas less strict measures have no effect, finds a study in this week's BMJ. Parents from 314 households with young infants took part in the study. Parents were interviewed at home about their knowledge and use of harm reduction strategies, tobacco consumption, and details of the home environment. A sample of the infant's urine was taken to measure levels of cotinine (a by-product of nicotine) and creatinine. Over 80% of parents believed that environmental tobacco smoke is harmful and 90% believed that infants can be protected from it in the home. Only one in 10 parents was unaware of any measures to reduce exposure. More than half the parents reported using more than one measure. Just under a fifth reported banning smoking in the home. Banning smoking in the home was associated with a small but significant reduction in cotinine levels, whereas less strict or no measures had no effect on exposure of infants. Despite some limitations, these results suggest that banning smoking at home significantly reduces infant exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, say the authors. Less strict measures, such as opening windows when smoking and using fans, are likely to have little effect on the exposure of infants, but this requires verification. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Related Smoking Current Events and Smoking News Articles Pregnant women with asthma can be more confident about some medicines Women can usually keep using the same asthma drugs they were using before they got pregnant. Budesonide sprays are the best studied and can be regarded as safe. Drop in cancer deaths tied primarily to gains in behavior and screening Improvements in behavior and screening have contributed greatly to the 13 percent decline in cancer mortality since 1990, with better cancer treatments playing a supporting role, according to new research from David Cutler of Harvard University. Pregnant women with asthma can be more confident about some medicines Women can usually keep using the same asthma drugs they were using before they got pregnant. Budesonide sprays are the best studied and can be regarded as safe. Newborns exposed to maternal smoking more irritable, difficult to soothe Previous studies have shown that babies exposed to tobacco in utero are more likely to have a low birth weight and are at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome. Cardiovascular disease causing increasing inequity between rich and poor A new paper released today by The George Institute for International Health is warning a cardiovascular disease based epidemic is gaining pace among many low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), exemplified at its worst in the world's largest populated countries - China and India. High levels of prenatal smoking exposure affect sleep patterns in preterm neonates A study in the Dec. 1 issue of the journal Sleep is the first to show that high levels of prenatal smoking exposure strongly modify sleep patterns in preterm neonates, which places infants at a higher risk for developmental difficulties that could persist throughout early and middle childhood. Stanford/Packard study shows no benefit from drug widely used to prevent premature births When a pregnant woman goes into early labor, her obstetrician may give her drugs to quiet the woman's uterus and prevent premature birth. Hairspray is linked to common genital birth defect, says study Women who are exposed to hairspray in the workplace during pregnancy have more than double the risk of having a son with the genital birth defect hypospadias, according to a new study published today in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Ability to quit smoking may depend on ADHD symptoms, Columbia researchers find Tobacco use is more prevalent and smoking cessation less likely among persons with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (A.D.H.D.) In a study of smokers with attention deficit and hyperactivity symptoms, those who exhibited elevated hyperactivity and impulsivity, with or without inattention, showed lower quit rates after 8 weeks than those with inattention symptoms alone or those without the A.D.H.D. symptoms. Smoking, teens and their parents: New research A new study found that adolescents were at the greatest risk of smoking when their parents began smoking at an early age and the parents' smoking quickly reached high levels and persisted over time. More Smoking Current Events and Smoking News Articles |
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