Tobacco smoke harms young children: Quit smoking right away

Tobacco smoke causes a lot of harm to children. So, if you love your children, stay away from cigarettes to prevent the harmful effects of tobacco smoke.

Children living with smokers will unknowingly be exposed to or inhaled tobacco smoke. Second-hand smoke comes from two sources: second-hand smoke. Secondhand smoke is the smoke released by a smoker. Second-hand smoke comes out from the tip of a burning cigarette and makes up the majority of tobacco smoke in a given environment.

Second-hand smoke is 2 to 3 times more toxic than second-hand smoke emitted by smokers because second-hand smoke does not pass through the smoke filter. A child who stays in a room where several people smoke for about an hour will absorb as many toxic chemicals as a person smoking 10 cigarettes a day. In general, babies whose mothers smoke smoke more smoke into their bodies than babies whose fathers smoke because babies typically spend more time with their mothers. Babies who breastfeed from a smoking mother are most at risk because chemicals from secondhand smoke mix in breast milk. This harm is equivalent to the chemical from cigarette smoke outside of the baby's surroundings. ( 1 )

The harm of tobacco smoke on children

Children living in the same house as smokers have higher rates of respiratory diseases than normal. Symptoms will be more severe and lasting than children living in a smoke-free home. The effects of secondhand smoke get worse in about the first 5 years of life, when babies spend most of their time with parents. ( 2 )

The more people in the household smoke or the more the person smokes, the more severe the child's symptoms will be. Secondhand smoke is especially dangerous for children with asthma. Children who are exposed to heavy smoke increase the risk of asthma attacks, frequent emergency room visits and increased hospitalization. Here are some of the consequences of secondhand smoke:

1. Sudden Sleep Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Overexposure to secondhand smoke will increase your child's risk of getting Sudden Sleep Syndrome twice.

2. Bronchitis

Tobacco smoke makes children more susceptible to lung diseases such as bronchitis, pneumonia ... It can cause serious effects and can cause children to suffer from lung diseases in the first 2 years of life. Therefore, it's best to let your child limit their exposure to secondhand smoke.

3. Asthma

Young children are more susceptible to asthma if they are exposed to tobacco smoke in the first years of life. Children with this disease need to take medicine for a long time for treatment. As children get older, this disease will follow them for the rest of their lives and they always need regular medical care.

4. Short breath

Children who are heavily exposed to tobacco smoke as a child will not be able to breathe deeply because their lungs are damaged. As an adult, children will easily feel tired and have difficulty breathing deeply.

5. Ear infections

If you smoke regularly, your child will be more likely to develop an ear infection. This can develop into meningococcal disease, causing nerve disability, hearing loss, and even death if severe.

6. Cancer is one of the harmful effects of tobacco smoke

One of the most dangerous things about tobacco smoke is that it can cause a child to develop cancer at a very young age. If exposed to a lot of tobacco smoke in the first years of life, children can develop lymphoma, leukemia and brain cancer. As children get older, they are very susceptible to lung cancer, breast cancer or other parts of the body. ( 3 )

7. Easy to catch colds

Overexposure to secondhand smoke will make children more susceptible to colds every time the weather changes. So, take good care of children and do not expose them to tobacco smoke.

8. Cough

Children who are heavily exposed to tobacco smoke often have a cough. More seriously, the child may cough a lot and blood appears in the mucus when they cough.

9. Sore throat

Sore throat is one of the most common childhood illnesses when exposed to tobacco smoke. Children don't smoke, but the smoke that you smoke affects them. Tobacco smoke can cause a child's throat to become infected.

10. Bad breath

Children exposed to secondhand smoke are more susceptible to bad breath from an early age. This will affect the child's communication as an adult.

11. Hoarseness

Young children will experience hoarseness if they are exposed to heavy cigarette smoke. During puberty, speech will develop and if a child is exposed to a lot of secondhand smoke, his or her voice will be husky. The harmful effects of tobacco smoke will make it difficult for children to regain their normal voice after adulthood.

How to protect your child from secondhand smoke?

The following methods can help you protect your baby from inhaling too much tobacco smoke.

1. Quit smoking

Sign up for a class or smoking cessation support program. If you are pregnant, the earlier you need to quit smoking, as the likelihood of having a premature birth and the risk of complications during pregnancy is twice that of a non-smoker mother. When you are breast-feeding, it is also extremely important to quit smoking, as chemicals from tobacco can mix with your milk and affect your nursing baby.

2. Don't smoke indoors

Many people find it difficult to quit smoking, but any parent can change this bad habit. If you feel like smoking at home, smoke on the terrace, on the balcony, on the terrace or set aside a private room for smoking. You can wear a special garment over it so that it doesn't get caught in the smoke. Do not allow your child to enter smoking rooms or places where you smoke.

3. Don't smoke while babysitting

If you feel like you cannot control your smoking habits, you should at least take action to protect your child from cigarette smoke by not smoking while you are holding them. Absolutely do not smoke when your baby is in the car or while you are feeding or bathing your baby. Don't smoke in your child's bedroom.

4. Avoid letting smokers look after your children

Find out carefully whether the babysitter you are hiring for smokes. This is very important when your child has asthma.

Quit smoking now to keep your child's health safe. You can consult your doctor for appropriate smoking cessation advice or you can consult aFamilyToday Health's tips to quit smoking .