Children with asthma who are exposed to secondhand smoke are twice as likely to be hospitalized as children with asthma who are not exposed to secondhand smoke, according to a recent study from Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic.
"The results of this review serve as a reminder to parents of just how dangerous it is to expose their children to secondhand smoke," said the study's senior author Avni Joshi, MD, a pediatric allergist and immunologist at Mayo Clinic Children's Center. "We knew that kids should not be exposed to tobacco, but how bad their asthma is likely to be with tobacco exposure was not clear."
According to Dr. Joshi, this study helped quantify that risk and may help inform future risk assessments for patients.
The study also highlights how these hospitalizations increase the burden of disease on the healthcare system and the financial burden on families when parents have to miss work to take their child to the hospital.
For more information on the results of the study, see the video below.
More articles on smoking:
Memorial Hermann gets involved in Houston Smoking Cessation Awareness Week
CVS: Our ban on cigarette sales has curbed smoking
CVS Health quits US Chamber of Commerce over stance on smoking