The topic of secondhand smoke (SHS) continues to receive much controversy. Smoking proponents (yes, there are some out there), actually deny the possibility that smoking may be dangerous to someone else. They say the studies detailing the dangers of SHS are flawed, bogus, or just bad science.
The scientific community would choose to differ in that opinion. Most studies are designed with a great attention to detail in hopes of deriving an outcome of scientific or medical merit. Either way, researchers hope to learn something from the experiment or study, even if it does not prove their supposition.
The smoking community does not bother to produce any study that may produce the outcome that smoking is safe for a particular subgroup of the population. Rather, they choose to deny the results brought to publication that say smoking is bad for just about everyone who gets exposed to it.
Given that background, enter in today's study which looked for a link between SHS and low birth weight (LBW) babies and preterm deliveries of babies. This is not breaking news, of course. This link has been known for quite some time and in fact, many resources report smoking as a primary risk factor for these two conditions. So it's not surprising to find a 6.5% higher incidence in the number of preterm deliveries for women who were exposed to SHS. There was also a 5% greater prevalence for LBW babies in women exposed to SHS. Both these results were statistically significant, meaning the difference between the control group and exposed group was not brought about by chance, but rather by something unique to the one group versus the other.
What does this mean for the child? Basically, it means the child will have a harder time of it. Many of the child's organ systems may not be fully developed, depending on when it was delivered. The lungs are the last organ to develop, so the baby may find itself on a respirator as it begins its fragile life. Once on the ventilator, the baby is exposed to infectious organisms and potentially dangerous intrathoracic pressures that can cause damage to their lungs and heart. Add bleeding and development of scar tissue to the equation, as these are always risk factors when being placed on a respirator. LBW babies also are at risk for many bad outcomes. Just imagine giving birth to a 3 pound child who should weigh 6 pounds. They will be markedly weaker and have greater difficulty overcoming infection and feeding challenges. Many of these babies may be born with physical deficits and abnormalities not easily outgrown.
So before you smoke around your pregnant wife, remember that your cigarette, cigar or pipe may be hurting your unborn child. Ask yourself if it is worth the risk. If you're not a real "touchy-feely" person then ask yourself if it's worth the expense. Trust me, you don't want to see the neonatal intensive care unit (ICU) bill when you leave, even with insurance. Not to mention, not everyone has a neonatal ICU in their local hospital. Many have to travel to the nearest metropolitan area for care. As we all know, hotel and restaurant bills are not covered by insurance.
The old saying goes, "Nobody is denying your right to smoke, just don't deny my right to breathe clean air". In this case, give your kid a hand and take the smokes outside. Better yet, get stop smoking help and finally kick the habit. Enjoy the added benefits of improved health in your older age and you'll have a better lifestyle when you get older; no inhalers or portable oxygen to carry around. Finally, you're setting a great example for your children to follow. It's a win-win for everybody.
