Biomaterial Database

Parental smoking and childhood asthma: clinical implications. 2005

Kai-Håkon Carlsen, and Karin C Lødrup Carlsen

Allergy and Chronic Lung Diseases, Klosterstiftelsen, Voksentoppen Research Institute for Paediatric Pulmonology, Allergology and Chronic Lung Diseases, Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education, Oslo, Norway. k.h.carlsen@medisin.uio.no

Environmental tobacco smoke and constituents are global risks for human health. Considerable evidence shows that environmental tobacco smoke exposure contributes to, and exacerbates, respiratory disorders. This review assesses the causal role of environmental tobacco smoke exposure for childhood respiratory disorders, and in particular asthma. Tobacco smoke and environmental tobacco smoke exposure during pregnancy have an effect upon lung function in newborn infants; exposure after birth also has an effect upon lung function. An effect upon bronchial responsiveness has been suggested but the evidence is not as strong as for lung function. From 1997 to 1999 a comprehensive set of systematic reviews concerning the relationship between exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and respiratory health in children summarized the results from hundreds of published papers. The evidence for a causal relationship between environmental tobacco smoke exposure and asthmatic symptoms on the one hand, and between environmental tobacco smoke exposure and reduction in lung function on the other hand, was quite strong, whereas the evidence between environmental tobacco smoke exposure and development of allergy was much weaker. Here we present an overview of the effects of environmental tobacco smoke exposure on lung health in children. A hypothesis has been put forward regarding upregulation of pulmonary neuroendocrine cells in relationship to mechanisms of tobacco smoke products (TSP)-induced pulmonary disease. It has also been reported that genetic variation makes part of the population especially vulnerable to environmental tobacco smoke exposure during pregnancy. Furthermore, there is a need for intervention to reduce environmental tobacco smoke exposure in young children, by educating parents and adolescents about the health effects of environmental tobacco smoke exposure. Studies are needed to identify possible critical periods when environmental tobacco smoke exposure is more likely to induce harmful effects on lung health in young children in order to implement effective preventive strategies.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010353	Patient Education as Topic	The teaching or training of patients concerning their own health needs.	Education of Patients,Education, Patient,Patient Education
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011297	Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects	The consequences of exposing the FETUS in utero to certain factors, such as NUTRITION PHYSIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA; PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS; DRUGS; RADIATION; and other physical or chemical factors. These consequences are observed later in the offspring after BIRTH.	Delayed Effects, Prenatal Exposure,Late Effects, Prenatal Exposure
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001249	Asthma	A form of bronchial disorder with three distinct components: airway hyper-responsiveness (RESPIRATORY HYPERSENSITIVITY), airway INFLAMMATION, and intermittent AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION. It is characterized by spasmodic contraction of airway smooth muscle, WHEEZING, and dyspnea (DYSPNEA, PAROXYSMAL).	Asthma, Bronchial,Bronchial Asthma,Asthmas
D012307	Risk Factors	An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure, inborn or inherited characteristic, which, based on epidemiological evidence, is known to be associated with a health-related condition considered important to prevent.	Health Correlates,Risk Factor Scores,Risk Scores,Social Risk Factors,Population at Risk,Populations at Risk,Correlates, Health,Factor, Risk,Factor, Social Risk,Factors, Social Risk,Risk Factor,Risk Factor Score,Risk Factor, Social,Risk Factors, Social,Risk Score,Score, Risk,Score, Risk Factor,Social Risk Factor
D012907	Smoking	Willful or deliberate act of inhaling and exhaling SMOKE from burning substances or agents held by hand.	Smoking Behaviors,Smoking Habit,Behavior, Smoking,Behaviors, Smoking,Habit, Smoking,Habits, Smoking,Smoking Behavior,Smoking Habits
D014028	Tobacco Smoke Pollution	Contamination of the air by tobacco smoke.	Air Pollution, Tobacco Smoke,Environmental Pollution, Tobacco Smoke,Passive Smoking,Smoking, Passive,Environmental Smoke Pollution, Tobacco,Environmental Tobacco Smoke Pollution,Involuntary Smoking,Second Hand Smoke,Secondhand Smoke,Secondhand Smoking,Hand Smoke, Second,Hand Smokes, Second,Involuntary Smokings,Passive Smokings,Pollution, Tobacco Smoke,Pollutions, Tobacco Smoke,Second Hand Smokes,Secondhand Smokes,Secondhand Smokings,Smoke Pollution, Tobacco,Smoke Pollutions, Tobacco,Smoke, Second Hand,Smoke, Secondhand,Smokes, Second Hand,Smokes, Secondhand,Smoking, Involuntary,Smoking, Secondhand,Smokings, Involuntary,Smokings, Passive,Smokings, Secondhand,Tobacco Smoke Pollutions