Secondhand smoke

Secondhand smoke and how it affects babies

Smoke exposure causes significant damage and lasting consequences in newborns, Pinkerton said. This research has a message for every parent: Do not smoke or breathe secondhand smoke while you are pregnant. Do not let your children breathe secondhand smoke after they are born. Secondhand smoke can be extremely dangerous for babies. Among other things, it weakens their lungs, makes them more prone to ear infections, and doubles the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). At the very minimum, you should make sure nobody smokes anywhere in your house, no exceptions.

Only 15 percent of cigarette smoke is inhaled by the smoker, while the remaining 85 percent known as second hand smoke goes directly into the air. Second hand smoke has been found to contain more than 4,000 chemicals, at least 40 of which are carcinogenic. There is no safe level of exposure. All day exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke is comparable to smoking two to three cigarettes per day. Second hand smoke may also affect your breast milk. Nicotine has been found in the

Cigarettes are incredibly effective devices for spreading harmful chemicals, including nicotine and carbon monoxide, all over your house. If you light up in one room, the smoke will be detectable in the entire house within minutes, and that includes the baby's room. The chemicals and particles that make secondhand smoke so dangerous will immediately stick to just about everything in the house, including carpets, walls, furniture, and even stainless steel. Over the next few weeks and months, these contaminants will be slowly released back into the air the same air that your baby breathes.

Infants and toddlers have tiny bodies, tiny lungs, and breathe rapidly. All of these things increase how smoke can affect them. "The EPA estimates that passive smoking is responsible for between 150,000 and 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children less than 18 months of age annually, resulting in between 7,500 and 15,000 hospitalizations each year.