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Secondhand Smoke May Hurt Children More Than Adults

Younger children at particular risk for long-term damage

October 22, 2008

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Health experts long ago concluded that breathing in second-hand cigarette smoke is bad for you. Now, a new study suggests it may be worse for children than adults.

Branden E. Yee, M.D., and his research group from the anesthesiology department at Tufts Medical Center studied 200 children between the ages of one and 12 to assess their levels of carboxyhemoglobin, which is formed when carbon monoxide binds to the blood.

Carbon monoxide binds to blood 200 times more easily than oxygen, but the resultant carboxyhemoglobin is unable to deliver oxygen to body tissue, including that of the brain, heart and muscle.

The exact ramifications of high levels of carboxyhemoglobin are not entirely known, but potential consequences of long-term, low level exposure include changes in heart and lung tissue.

Although household and environmental factors such as stoves, heaters and automobiles are potential sources of carbon monoxide exposure, the most likely source of elevated carboxyhemoglobin overall is second-hand cigarette smoke, the researchers said.

And according to Dr. Yee's study, the younger the child, the greater the potential level of exposure.

"The physiology of children--especially the youngest--is different from that of adults," said Yee. "Children breathe in a greater amount of air per body weight compared to adults."

Another possible explanation for the youngest children having the highest levels of carboxyhemoglobin is that they are completely reliant on their parents and are thus exposed to everything their parents are, including air pollution, cooking exhaust and, of course, second-hand smoke, Yee said.

He stressed the importance of education in helping to change parents' smoking habits, especially around children. He thinks that the right blend of physician intervention and technology could have positive benefits.

"The simple, non-invasive device we used to test exposure may encourage health care providers to ask further questions of children and their parents regarding smoking habits," said Yee. "Personalized education coupled with the act of physically showing a parent the carboxyhemoglobin measurement in his or her child's blood may provide a graphic and concrete message to that parent."

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