Effects of Secondhand Smoke (SHS) on Children with Asthma
| Effects | References |
|---|---|
| Maternal exposure seems to be the most significant of SHS exposure, which may be because of the child’s close proximity to the mother | 30, 67–69 |
| The association between parental SHS exposure and asthma becomes less strong after adolescence into adulthood, which may be because the child is spending less time at home | 70 |
| Asthmatic children exposed to multiple household smokers face a 4.5-fold increase risk for respiratory illness related absences from school | 71 |
| Perinatal deficits in lung function are persistent and may increase during adolescence in the presence of parental SHS | 72, 73 |
| SHS is associated with increased asthma severity and is more likely to be diagnosed as moderate to severe asthma | 42, 74 |
| SHS is associated with worsening of lung function as evidence of decline in peak expiratory flow, and increase in symptoms and bronchodilator use in asthmatic children exposed to SHS | 42, 58, 75 |
| Household smoking increases the frequency of asthma attacks, number of visits to an emergency department, and risk of intubation | 76 |