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The Harmful Effects of Infants Breathing Cigarette Smoke

The American Academy of Pediatrics reports smokers' homes have up to three times the amount of suspended particulate matter found in nonsmokers' homes. An infant in this environment is perpetually exposed to a toxic haze that opens the doors to opportunistic infections and respiratory distress. Over 70 of the chemicals within secondhand smoke are carcinogens with no safe exposure level. If you smoke, quitting is the only sure way to keep your infant safe from your habit's by-products.

  1. Asthma

    • During an asthma attack, the afflicted person's bronchioles constrict, reducing their available airflow. Concurrently, mucus flows into the airways, making breathing even more difficult. With their smaller lungs and narrower air passages, asthma attacks in infants cut off a greater amount of air than attacks in adults, which can be life-threatening. Secondhand smoke is a lung irritant particularly prone to triggering asthma attacks in infants, and the Environmental Protection Agency reports exposure exacerbates asthma in up to 1 million children annually.

    Other Respiratory Dangers

    • An infant's lungs and immune system are still developing, making her more susceptible to the toxins within cigarette smoke than an adult. According to the Office of the Surgeon General, secondhand smoke inhalation weakens infants' lungs during this critical period, increasing their risk of developing respiratory ailments. The EPA estimates secondhand smoke exposure is responsible for between 150,000 and 300,000 annual hospital admissions for infants with bronchitis and pneumonia.

    Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

    • The AAFA indicates that an infant's risk of death from SIDS is four times greater in a household where one or both parents smoke. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the chemicals within secondhand smoke apparently disrupt the developing brain's regulation of respiration, contributing to death from SIDS. The CDC further notes that infants that died of SIDS have high concentrations of nicotine within their lungs and high cotinine levels, which indicates extensive exposure to secondhand smoke.

    Third-Hand Smoke

    • In an interview with "Scientific American," Johnathan Winickoff, MD, indicated cigarette toxins remain in smokers' homes, cars and clothing long after they extinguish their cigarettes. These toxins continue to emit toxic gases and form a sheen over surfaces exposed to cigarette smoke which infants are particularly vulnerable to, due to their faster respiration and proclivity for putting objects into their mouths. Infants' close proximity to contaminated surfaces before they've learned to walk also increases their third-hand smoke exposure.

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