Tobacco Smoke Tied to Flu Complications in Kids

September 4, 2012 Kids hospitalized with the flu are more likely to need intensive care and a longer stay if they’ve been exposed to second-hand smoke at home, a small new study finds. Analyzing the records of more than 100 kids hospitalized with flu in New York state, researchers found those exposed to second-hand smoke were five times more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit and required a 70 percent longer stay in the hospital, compared to the kids not exposed to smoke.

“People are being a bit complacent and thinking that because they don’t see smoking as often…that it’s not a problem anymore,” said Dr. Karen Wilson, of Children’s Hospital Colorado, in Aurora, who led the study. “But we still need to be vigilant about protecting kids from second-hand smoke.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, passive smoking causes ear infection, breathing problems and lung infections in children, and leads to the hospitalization of up to 15,000 children under the age of 18 months every year. The new work is the first study to look at the effect of second-hand smoke on kids with influenza, however.

For More Information
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/31/us-tobacco-smoke-flu-complications-idUSBRE87U17C20120831

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Tobacco Smoke Tied to Flu Complications in Kids

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