Posted on 05/20/2007 8:37:45 PM PDT by Moonman62
ATS 2007, SAN FRANCISCO -- Children of smokers who don’t show any signs of respiratory problems may still be experiencing damaging changes in their airways that could lead to lung disease later in life, according to a new study presented at the American Thoracic Society 2007 International Conference, on Sunday, May 20.
"Everyone knows that children of smokers have more respiratory problems—more puffing, wheezing, cases of pneumonia—but until now we haven’t known if lung function is impaired in children of smokers who don’t have any respiratory complaints or diagnosed lung problems," says researcher Bert Arets, M.D., Ph.D., of University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands.
The study included 244 children ages 4 to 12 without any history of lung or airway disease. They were divided into four groups according to the smoking pattern of their parents: never smokers, smoking after birth but not during pregnancy, during pregnancy but not after birth, and both before and after birth. The researchers found that children of smoking parents had significantly reduced lung function similar to that seen in smokers. Smoking after birth appeared to be more harmful than smoking during pregnancy alone. The researchers have now expanded their study to include 2,000 healthy children of smokers.
Dr. Arets speculated that in the future, the growing number of smoking bans in public places might cause parents to smoke more in their own homes, thereby increasing the harm to the developing lungs of children. "We may see an increase in diminished lung function in children of smokers because of this trend," he said. ###
"Healthy Children with Smoking Parents" Are They Really Healthy""(Session A105; Abstract # 309; Poster Board # 901)
Mothers who smoke during pregnancy are sad. Just sad.
Another article that will just thrill you.
I guess we'll just have to go ahead and ban smoking in private homes, too.
For the children. We'll do it for the children.
Somebody should post the “oh no, not this $%^& again” picture. The one with the guy holding his head.
Interesting. My parents smoked. Neither died of lung problems, nor have I ever had any because of their smoking. Rather than looking at how smoking laws are forcing parents who smoke to do so in their homes, perhaps they should look at it in a different way. Children are institutionalized for a good portion of their day with very little outdoor exercise, which means their lungs are not ever being taxed to full capacity. Not only that, but children spend much more time in vehicles in traffic than my generation ever did. Their lungs are abused in many ways, second hand smoke probably little to none as a factor.
I knew one schoolmate - just one - who had asthma when I was a kid. Now there seems to be an epidemic. Why?
Might be a result of the lack of allergins in the modern super-clean house. The immune system has no baseline and goes haywire.
Good point. Dirt is good.
So are cats and to a lesser degree dogs.
Yes, but...
We had cats when my kids were little. My son developed an allergy to them out of the blue. None of my other kids did.
We didn’t get rid of the cats and my son’s allergy always remained mild. Ironically, his girlfriend is so allergic that he can’t even bring her to our house. She has life-threatening allergies. I don’t know what the answer to that one is.
The study used a lung function test. Unless you've had one you may not know for sure.
................ FRegards
“Celaya found that certain environmental factors increased the levels of endotoxin in a home: having a home older than 30 years, substandard home conditions, carpeting, a musty smell and interior wall leaks were all associated with higher levels of endotoxin.”
The house I grew up in was built when I was 2. BUT, I was outside more often that not.
The house I live in (and raised my kids in) is 103 years old with 55 windows, no carpeting, all hardwood floors. My kids were outside more often than not. I was a stay-at-home mom.
Yet the baby boomers to our misfortune who grew up when 75% of their parents smoked are living longer & healthier than any generation before them
The current smoking rate is around 20%. Where did you get the 75%.
All these things are on the rise, by a huge degree. When I was in grade school, there were only 2 fat kids. And by todays standards, they wouldn’t even be considered fat. They would be considered slightly chubby. The average kid was really quite skinny. When I look in the old family photo album of my parents’ school pictures, the kids in their generation would have been considered nearly anorexic.
Another thing I’m noticing in kids these days is what seems to be (to me) a high incidence of a mild birth defect. Lots of small kids seem to have one crumpled ear. I never saw anyone with this oddity until about 10 years ago. Now I see it everywhere.
I don’t know what’s going on either. But I can’t help but suspect it’s something to do with modern medicine...unintended side effects. It’s almost as if our gene pool has somehow been polluted with a rash of defects.
Even crooked teeth and bad eyesight seem to be more common.
No history of that in five generations of smokers in our family. These statements are full of "it."
The PARENTS of the baby boomers.
Where did the 75% come from? I was pointing out the big difference in the rates. Even today the states with the highest smoking rates are in the high 20’s.
I don’t think it has anything to do with modern medicine. I think it has everything to do with kids cooped up for the better portion of each and every day.
Did any of you have lung function tests?
What kind of neighborhood do you live in? Urban, rural?
When did the baby boomers grow up?
I have. No probs. Next question?
I think he is saying that the baby-boomer's parents generation of smokers was 75%.
That sounds about right because both my parents and almost all of their friends smoked.
Reading comprehension is our friend.
Some did. Some didn’t. The ones who did are freepers.
That's what I comprehended.
That sounds about right because both my parents and almost all of their friends smoked.
Personal anecdotes are meaningless when it comes to the smoking rate of the country at that time.
Actually, he was being a smart-a$$. Baby boomers are to blame for all of today’s problems. Didn’t you know that? /s
Why are you asking me? You’re the one who threw out the statistic. Where did it come from? Is it based on your own personal feelings or do you have a source?
That could be part of it. But that won’t explain autism and the crumpled ears.
I live in Brick NJ, which is I guess the suburbs. I live near the river which is a salt water one. The one thing I have noticed is that everyone here uses lawn services. When my older children (now adults) were growing up here nobody used lawn services. I don’t use chemicals on the lawn as I have koi ponds. Its the only thing that I can think of that could be the reason so many of the children may have it.
“Focusing on second-hand smoke is just the government’s smoke-and-mirrors way of deflecting attention from the real pollutants from big business, industry, and fossil fuels.”
I would say that’s only partially true. I think it’s deflecting from the fact that children’s lives have changed and not for the better.
You’ve hit on something very important. Pesticides are not good and may be a culprit.
i do remember this very well,the WHO first report on second hand smoke was quickly yanked due to their findings ——wasn’t what they wanted to hear.
http://www.davehitt.com/facts/who.html
This is the first I’ve heard about “crumpled ears,” but I won’t discount what you have observed. Autism is, as you say, also on the rise and it is worth studying possible causes.
50 years ago, everyone smoked. There were ashtrays on airplanes for crying out loud. I remember when movie theaters had smoking sections. I remember watching people at dennys style diner/cafes eat with a lit cigarette in one hand and a fork in the other. I remember watching the principal of my grade school smoke cigarettes INSIDE the school. I made my first ashtray in the third grade as a school art project(maybe it was even earlier than that. It was mandatory. every kid in the school made one.
I remember this also. Thanks for the link. Bookmarking.
Out of curiousity -
I wonder how many people work in offices/buildings where windows can even be opened anymore?
I was born in the 50s too. I didn’t know any adults who didn’t smoke. I remember the cloud of smoke emitting from the teachers’ lounge whenever the door was opened.
It must be a conspiracy, LOL. And we know how credible UN organizations are.
So how did your score compare to the average of all children of parents who smoked, and the average of children of parents who didn’t smoke? My point is how do you know your score couldn’t be higher?
Wow, you had polio? I feel for you. My cousin also got it. He had to wear a leg brace. I had chicken pox (very mild), but a case (also mild) of shingles a few years ago. I had German measles, not red measles, and I had mumps (godawful). You may have a point.
According to your personal anecdote the rate was 100%. that's even worse than 75%, LOL.
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