A recent study in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine is giving parents another reason to go smoke-free. It finds exposure to cigarette smoke in the home increases children's risk of middle ear infections. Researchers in Canada studied 625 preschoolers. Those who lived with two or more smokers had an 85 percent higher risk of middle ear infections. Those whose mothers smoked more than 10 cigarettes a day had a 68 percent higher risk.
Ear infections are painful and can lead to hearing loss.
Based on this study and four others with similar findings, doctors say the best thing smoking parents can do for their kids is quit. Other research has shown that secondhand smoke puts children at greater risk for lower respiratory tract infections, reduced lung function, and asthma. All rights reserved.