Some time ago, Lola Rovati already told us in a post that babies exposed to smoke were at greater risk of infections. Two years later, a new study published recently by the Harvard School of Public Health, in the United States, goes a step further in this statement.
This study determines that passive smoking increases the risk of invasive (more serious) bacterial diseases in children, especially in the little ones.
Among the studies that have been studied are always worrying processes, such as meningococcal meningitis, pneumococcal pneumonia or Haemophilus influenza type B infections.
However, as in any study of these characteristics, it is convenient to make a series of clarifications since, as we will see after the jump, the conclusions, although serious, have important nuances that may require new work.
Study on passive smoking and bacterial diseases in children
The professionals who carried out the study made an exhaustive review of previously published works, in order to determine the presence of the serious processes studied, in children exposed to tobacco smoke, compared to unexposed children.
One of the findings that has surprised researchers the most has been the fact that Meningococcal meningitis could be seen up to two more times in children who are passively exposed to tobacco smoke, a certainly striking fact.
The other result to consider is that the risk of suffering from pneumococcal diseases and Haemophilus influenzae type b would also be increased, although not to such an extent, and with not so obvious results.
Apparently, these results were more evident in children under 6 years, something on the other hand logical, while below that age in general they are more vulnerable to infections and exposure by agents such as tobacco smoke .
Interpretations of the study
A priori, these results would suggest that if the parents quit smoking in the presence of the children, the risk of them suffering from the conditions studied could be reduced.
However, as the authors themselves indicate, more work may be necessary, since it is relatively easy for these studies to introduce what are called biases. These biases are a series of inadvertent errors (which are always tried to avoid) and that can interfere with the results.
For example, one of the biases that could be present in this study is that in developing countries there is more frequency of bacterial diseases such as those in the study (usually because there is not adequate vaccination or prevention). As there is also high passive exposure of children to tobacco smoke, this could make it appear that the cause is exposure.
That is why the authors themselves point out that higher quality studies are necessary, where you can really discern whether exposure to tobacco smoke is related to these processes, or it is other factors (such as lower vaccination in certain countries) that are inducing these results.
In any case, and When in doubt, it is logical to avoid exposing our children to tobacco smoke. Affirmation, on the other hand, seems quite reasonable.
