A number of reading materials directly support the fact that second-hand smoke can potentially harm infants before and after being born. It normally contains harmful chemicals like carcinogens, which can cause disease and disability, if not death. It can lead to lower respiratory tract infections, asthma, and reductions in the lung function. Studies suggest that tobacco has been identified as “one of the chief preventable causes of death and health consequences for nonsmokers in the world” (Boldo et al., 2007, p.478). Specifically to infants, second-hand smoke can cause injury, diseases, as well as fatality, as it can lead to: (1) premature death; (2) sudden infant death syndrome; (3) acute respiratory infections; (4) ear problems; (5) cardiovascular disease; and (6) severe asthma. With this, the World Health Organization there is a wide array of accident prevention programs and safety promotion programs focusing on interventions against second-hand smoke. Its goal is to provide a more smoke-free environment that would benefit the children, especially the infants.
The dangerous effect of second-hand smoke was reflected in the information gathered indirectly through personal experience of an interviewee. Her name was Alisa, a 26 year old female Caucasian parent who, like her husband, was a heavy smoker even before her baby was born. A few weeks after her baby came into the world, she observed how her baby was having respiratory syndromes and slight asthma, and had some difficulty breathing, especially when she had had colds. Alisa recalled how she would normally finish at least 10 cigarettes per day the time when she was pregnant with her baby. She thought that it would not have much effect on the health of her upcoming baby, but it turned out that her habit drew large amounts of carcinogen into her baby, thus, affecting her baby’s respiratory system. Both direct and indirect experiences proved that second-hand smoke is dangerous both to the non-smoker and the smoker. With infants however, it appears they do not have a choice but to accept the fact that toxic chemicals were put to them forcibly by their smoking parent.
Reference:
Boldo, E., Medina, S., Oberg, M., Puklova, V., Mekel, O., Patja, K., Dalbokova, D.,, & Posada, M. (2010). Health impact assessment of environmental tobacco smoke in European children: Sudden infant death syndrome and asthma episodes. Public Health Reports, 125(3), 478-487.
