Exposure to second-hand smoke can injure humans at any stage of life, including before birth, infancy, childhood, and even maturity. So, quit smoking before it impacts the people you care about!
On World Tobacco Day, learn how secondhand smoking might harm your family members. Adobe Stock Team Health Shots provided the image.
Tobacco use is one of the biggest causes of disease and death worldwide. This is linked to both direct tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure. Every year on May 31, the World No Tobacco Day is marked to raise awareness about the hazards of smoking on both the smoker and others around them. The dangers of second-hand smoking are extremely dangerous for children, and the harm can begin even before they are born!
What exactly is secondhand smoke?
Environmental tobacco smoke is another name for second-hand smoke. It is the smoke that a smoker exhales. It is derived from the tip of burning cigarettes, pipes, and cigars and includes around 4000 compounds, more than 50 of which are hazardous.Millions of youngsters are exposed to secondhand smoke, with smoking by parents or carers being the most prevalent source of exposure. They are also at risk from their own behaviours – crawling on floors Dr. Abhishek Chopra, Consultant Neonatologist and Paediatrician, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, New Delhi, tells Health Shots, “and carpets being an easy way to ingest dust and smoke, as well as putting hands in mouth after touching walls where smoke had settled.”
Did you know that smoking in a different room, utilising fans, or smoking in front of open windows does not protect you from second-hand smoke? Furthermore, smoking and second-hand smoke can be harmful at any stage of life, including before birth, infancy, childhood, and even maturity. According to Dr. Chopra, there is no safe degree of exposure to secondhand smoking.
1. Low Birth Weigh
t Secondhand smoking is a recognised avoidable cause of low birth weight newborns. The average birth weight of newborns delivered to nonsmoking pregnant mothers exposed to second-hand smoke is 33 gms lower than that of those not exposed to second-hand smoke.
2. Placental issues
Smoking during pregnancy can also result in cleft lip and palate in the infant, as well as placental issues including placenta previa and placental abruption.
3. Preterm labour or birth difficulties
Secondhand smoking has also been related to abortions and an increased risk of premature birth. 4. The dangers of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
The most significant risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome is smoking.
4. The dangers of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
The most significant risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome is smoking.
Secondhand smoking can raise the risk of preterm birth. Shutterstock contributed to this image.
5. Has an effect on learning capacity
Second-hand smoking also inhibits children’s learning abilities since it is neurotoxic at extremely low levels. Children born to nonsmoking mothers who were exposed to second-hand smoke during pregnancy, as well as children born to smoking mothers, are more likely to suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder.
