It's not hard to imagine: New parents in their late twenties (we'll call them Tom and Amber) are thrilled at the birth of their daughter, Lucy. They researched car seats, choosing the one that rated the highest in safety tests. Although Lucy won't even crawl for several months, they've already childproofed the house with things like socket and drawer protectors. Instead of blankets, they've decided to use the zip-up "sleep sacks," recommended by the experts who study sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) prevention. At first glance, Tom and Amber are the picture of doting parents who are insuring that Lucy will grow healthy, safe and strong.

A closer look, however, reveals that these well-intentioned parents now expose Lucy to more than 250 chemicals every day that are known to be toxic or cancer causing, including formaldehyde, benzene, vinyl chloride, arsenic, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide. You see, Tom and Amber are smokers.

To her credit, Amber didn't smoke during her pregnancy, because she knew that practice increases the chance of low-birth-weight babies, stillbirths, and pregnancy complications. But when Tom and Amber brought Lucy home, healthy and whole, they relaxed and gave into their respective nicotine addictions. They figured if they were careful not to smoke when they held Lucy, and if they always remembered to open a car window when she was in the car with them, she would be fine. They are wrong.

Secondhand smoke (also called environmental tobacco smoke) is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers. Studies reveal that secondhand smoke causes about 3,000 deaths each year from lung cancer in non-smokers and an estimated 22,700-69,600 deaths per year from heart disease in adult nonsmokers.

Children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of secondhand smoke because they are still developing physically, have higher breathing rates than adults, and have little control over their indoor environments. Children exposed to high doses of secondhand smoke, such as those whose mothers smoke, run the greatest relative risk of experiencing damaging health effects. Consider the following findings:

A 2005 study--the first to test smoking exposure on infants--found that children as young as three months accumulate nicotine and carcinogens in their bodies when they are exposed to tobacco smoke. Authors of the study said parents who smoke around infants could raise their risk of addiction, cancer and other health problems later in life.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency Web site, exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risk for SIDS.

The American Lung Association reports that children who breathe secondhand smoke are more likely to suffer from pneumonia, bronchitis and other lung diseases. They also have more ear infections and are more likely to develop asthma and have more asthma attacks. Childhood allergies have also been linked to secondhand smoke.

A report in the Aug. 14, 2006 issue of Medical News Today stated that children of smokers are more likely to smoke themselves, use other types of legal and illicit drugs, and have behavioral problems. 

A 2005 study conducted at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital among 4,400 children found that children exposed to secondhand smoke had lower standardized test scores in reading, math and problem solving than those with the lowest amount of environmental tobacco exposure.

Many of the toxic substances from cigarettes, cigars or pipes stay in the air, so it is best not to allow any smoking in homes where children are present. The American Lung Association advises to let family, friends and coworkers know that you do care if they smoke around you or your children, and urge parents to choose day care centers, schools, restaurants and other places that are smoke-free for their children.

In addition, it is important not to allow smoking in cars that transport children. Arkansas, Louisiana, California, Massachusetts and Arizona already have bans on smoking in cars where children are present.

No parent would intentionally expose a child to serious health risks. With a little foresight and help from organizations like the American Lung Association (1-800-586-4872), they can take precautions to ensure their sons and daughters are protected from the very real dangers of secondhand smoke.

--Published June 25, 2007