Each year, we members of the American Academy of Pediatrics designate October as Child Health Month . This year, and for the next two years, the theme of Child Health Month is substance abuse prevention. This is a prevalent issue in nearly all of our lives. Few would disagree that we, as a society, as a community and as parents need to be aware of the dangers our children face concerning substance abuse. This year's Child Health Month focuses on smoking and tobacco.
Prevention here can start before the baby is even born.
Smoking during pregnancy can cause irregular breathing during fetal life, reduced birth weight and growth during the first year of the child's life, and cancer, respiratory disorders and heart disease in later years. Forty-three percent of children aged 2 months to 11 years live in a home with at least one smoker. ETS may cause asthma, and it causes children who already have asthma to have more severe symptoms. Some parents may not realize that their own behavior and substance abuse can determine the entire course of their child's life. In fact, children often model behavior they see at home.