The Italian study broke new ground in teasing out new information about children's exposure to secondhand smoke. Although having a mother who smokes is more dangerous to a child's respiratory health than having a father who smokes, smoking by fathers remains a health threat to the child. The study also found maternal smoking during pregnancy was a strong predictor of asthma or wheezing in young children, but that this effect apparently diminished over time. Smoking by the father during pregnancy had little if any effect on the long-term respiratory health of children. Agabiti et al. and colleagues also collected data on children whose parents suffered from childhood asthma or wheezing.
Maternal smoking poses the greatest danger, but paternal smoking also increases risk.
Maternal smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of asthma and wheezing in young children, but the effect appears to diminish over time. All rights reserved. Email This to a Friend. All rights reserved. Inc. All Rights Reserved.