Second-hand tobacco smoke linked to kids' allergies

18 Dec 2007

Infants who are exposed to passive cigarette smoke have a higher risk of developing allergies, new research suggests.

Results of a parental survey published ahead of print in the journal Thorax found that children whose parents smoked around them in early childhood were almost twice as likely to be allergic to inhaled allergens as babies who weren't exposed to second-hand smoke.

The survey questioned 4,000 families about their children's allergies and the environmental factors they were exposed to both before and after birth.

In addition, infants who inhaled passive smoke were 50% more likely to have a food allergy.

However, no evidence was found to suggest that smoking while pregnant affected a child's risk of becoming 'sensitised' to certain allergens.

Scientific studies have linked maternal smoking to a wide range of pregnancy complications, including low birth weight and premature labour.

Recent research also discovered that mothers who smoke before, during and after pregnancy could be putting their child's fertility levels at risk.

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