Cigarette smoke may lead to asthma in adolescence

AORN Journal,  Jan, 2007  

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Children and teenagers who smoke cigarettes have a nearly four times higher risk of developing asthma in adolescence compared to those who do not smoke, according to a Nov 15, 2006, news release from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. In addition, children whose mothers smoked cigarettes while pregnant with them and who became regular, frequent smokers (ie, smoked at Least seven cigarettes per week) have ah even higher risk of developing asthma compared to nonsmoking adolescents who were not exposed to cigarette smoke in utero.

Researchers conducted annual school visits in 12 southern California communities to gather data on demographic factors, medical histories, household exposures, cigarette smoking, and newly diagnosed asthma. Researchers collected data on 2,609 children and adolescents for an average of 6.3 years. Participants were between eight and 15 years of age at the beginning of the study and had no previous history of asthma of wheezing.

Fourteen percent of the participants were exposed to smoking while in their mothers' wombs, and 17.5% were exposed to secondhand smoke. Of the participants,

* approximately 28% had smoked at some time during their Life,

* 13.8% smoked weekly, and

* 16.9% smoked regularly (ie, at least seven cigarettes per week).

During the course of the study, 255 new cases of asthma were reported. Participants who were exposed to cigarette smoke in utero and who became regular, frequent smokers had an 8.8-fold increased risk of developing asthma compared to nonsmokers who were not exposed to smoke in utero. Participants who became regular, frequent smokers and were not exposed to cigarette smoke in utero showed only a 1.2-fold increase in risk of developing asthma. In addition, children exposed to smoke in utero were slightly more likely to become regular smokers. Researchers suggested that these findings indicate a link between smoking in children, adolescents, and women of childbearing age and preventable cases of asthma.

Where There's Smoke, There May Be Asthma [news release]. Los Angeles: University of Southern California; November 15, 2006 Available at: http://www.usc.edu /uscnews/stories/13053.html. Accessed November 27, 2006.

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