It’s commonly known thatsecondhand smoke exposure is a likely cause of asthma, ear problems, suddeninfant death syndrome and other breathing issues in children; however, emergingevidence is finding there may be a correlation between secondhand smoke exposureand a less physical issue: behavior.
According to a studypublished this week in the journal Pediatrics, children growing up in ahome with parents who smoke are more likely to develop behavioral problems,such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as opposed to childrenraised in a smoke-free environment.
"We found thatchildren who are exposed to secondhand smoke in the home have 50 percentincreased odds of having two or three…common neurobehavioral disorders,"says researcher Hillel Alpert, ScM, at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Through their study, whichwas published July 11th, researchers examined a 2007 U.S. Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention telephone survey of families which included 55,358children under the age of 12, 6 percent of which were exposed to secondhandsmoke in the home.
The telephone survey queriedparents whether a doctor or teacher had noticed ADHD or any other behavioralissue in the child, whether or not the child had received counseling and ifanyone smoked in the home.
It was determined thatapproximately 8 percent of the children had learning disabilities, 6 percenthad ADHD and about 4 percent had behavioral issues. Even after factors such asthe parent’s educational and economic status were taken into account, it wasstill apparent that children who lived in homes with smokers were more likelyto suffer from at least two behavioral-related conditions.
According to a studypublished this week in the journal Pediatrics, children growing up in ahome with parents who smoke are more likely to develop behavioral problems,such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as opposed to childrenraised in a smoke-free environment.
"We found thatchildren who are exposed to secondhand smoke in the home have 50 percentincreased odds of having two or three…common neurobehavioral disorders,"says researcher Hillel Alpert, ScM, at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Through their study, whichwas published July 11th, researchers examined a 2007 U.S. Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention telephone survey of families which included 55,358children under the age of 12, 6 percent of which were exposed to secondhandsmoke in the home.
The telephone survey queriedparents whether a doctor or teacher had noticed ADHD or any other behavioralissue in the child, whether or not the child had received counseling and ifanyone smoked in the home.
It was determined thatapproximately 8 percent of the children had learning disabilities, 6 percenthad ADHD and about 4 percent had behavioral issues. Even after factors such asthe parent’s educational and economic status were taken into account, it wasstill apparent that children who lived in homes with smokers were more likelyto suffer from at least two behavioral-related conditions.
