title: Effects of passive smoking on lung function in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Passive smoking can have significant effects on lung function with reductions in forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced mid-expiratory flow rate (FEF25-75%) of between 5 and 10%.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty non-smoking children aged 6-15 years, who had no history of asthma or atopy and no parental history of atopy, were assessed with respect to their lung functions (FEV1, FEV1/FVC, FEF25-75%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-three of these children were being exposed to environmental tobacco smoke inside their homes, while 17 children were not exposed. In the 'passive smoker' group the FEV1, FEV1/FVC and FEF25-75% values were found to be significantly lower than the non-smoker control group's values (P = 0.0080, 0.0228 and 0.0003, respectively). The decrease in FEF25-75% was significantly correlated inversely with the number of cigarettes smoked per day (P = 0.0261).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is sufficient evidence to support the notion that environmental tobacco smoke is a serious health burden for children. Considering that recent studies suggest that up to 70% of children grow up in homes with at least one smoker, every effort should be made to reduce these children's exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and to give them a chance to grow up in a more healthy environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cagatay
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nuhoglu
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gurul
authors.forename: Yonca
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nuhoglu
authors.forename: Nihal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Karatoprak
authors.forename: Esra Onal
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Sonmez
authors.forename: Serpil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yavrucu
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozguner
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005540:Forced Expiratory Flow Rates; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution