Asthma, Wheezing in Infants Linked to Early Nicotine Exposure
Smoking exposure was associated with an increased risk for wheeze and asthma among infants aged 15 months, according to a recent study.
In their study, the researchers measured hair nicotine levels of 376 infants at 15 months of age to determine smoking exposure. They collected information on smoking exposure during pregnancy and in the home at 3 and 15 months of age from the infants’ parents. In addition, parents completed yearly questionnaires on wheezing, asthma, and other demographic characteristics until their child was 6 years of age. Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between high levels of hair nicotine and annual reports of wheeze or asthma.
_______________________________________________________________________
RELATED CONTENT
Tobacco Smoke Exposure During Pregnancy Increases Infant's Risk of Eczema
Childhood Smoke Exposure Tied to Development of COPD
_______________________________________________________________________
The researchers found that hair nicotine was strongly associated with smoking during pregnancy, and increased with the number of smokers and daily cigarettes smoked in the home.
At 15 months of age, high levels of hair nicotine were associated with an increased risk for wheeze (odds ratio [OR] 2.30). While asthma was associated with high levels of hair nicotine at 15 months of age, this association was not significant after the researchers adjusted for socio-economic status, ethnicity, body mass index, respiratory infections in the first 3 months of life, and duration of exclusive breast feeding (OR 2.02).
Associations between hair nicotine and risk for asthma and wheeze were not significant at older ages.
“In children aged 15 months, hair nicotine level was related to smoking exposure, and was associated with increased risk of wheeze and asthma,” the researchers concluded.
—Melissa Weiss
Reference:
Pattemore PK, Silvers KM, Frampton CM, et al. Hair nicotine at 15 months old, tobacco exposure and wheeze or asthma from 15 months to 6 years old [published online December 6, 2017]. Pediatr Pulmonol. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppul.23903.