Original article
The effect of cigarette smoke from the mother on bronchial responsiveness and severity of symptoms in children with asthma

https://doi.org/10.1016/0091-6749(86)90348-9Get rights and content

Abstract

The effect of parental smoking was assessed in 94 consecutively observed children, aged 7 to 17 years, who had a history of asthmatic wheezing. The 24 children whose mothers smoked, when they were compared with children whose mothers did not smoke, had 47% more symptoms, a 13% lower mean FEV1 percent, a 23% lower mean FEF25–75, and fourfold greater responsiveness to aerosolized histamine. A dose response was evident. There was a highly significant correlation between the results of the tests and the number of cigarettes the mother smoked while she was in the house. The differences betwen the children of smoking and nonsmoking mothers were greater in older than in younger subjects. The smoking habits of the father were not correlated with the severity of the child's asthma.

References (24)

  • IB Tager et al.

    Effect of parental cigarette smoking on the pulmonary function of children

    Am J Epidemiol

    (1979)
  • S Vedal et al.

    Risk factors for childhood respiratory disease. Analysis of pulmonary function

    Am Rev Respir Dis

    (1984)
  • Cited by (0)

    Supported by a grant from the British Columbia Lung Association.

    View full text