Environmental tobacco smoke exposure and children's health.
Almost half of the child population is involuntarily exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). The ETS exposure gives rise to an excessive risk of several diseases in infancy and childhood, including sudden infant death syndrome, upper and lower respiratory infections, asthma and middle ear diseases. It is also linked to cancer, and behavioural problems and neurocognitive deficits in children.


CONCLUSIONS
Protecting children from ETS exposure is a complex and important issue. The best improvement in children's health is to be gained when parents stop smoking or, when that is not possible, they stop smoking in their children's environment. Paediatricians, because of their authority, and their frequent and regular contact with parents, play a leading role in protecting children from ETS exposure. An ideal approach to help parents to stop smoking seems to be initial minimal-contact advice provided by their paediatrician with feedback and supplemental printed materials, leading to greater intensity and duration of follow-up home visits.
Polanska
Kinga
K
Department of Environmental Epidemiology, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, Poland.
Hanke
Wojciech
W
Ronchetti
Roberto
R
van den Hazel
Peter
P
Zuurbier
Moniek
M
Koppe
Janna G
JG
Bartonova
Alena
A
D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D010372:Pediatrics; D010819:Physician's Role; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution