US study finds smoking, ADHD link

MELBOURNE - A new research has found that children exposed to tobacco smoke in their homes suffer higher rates of ADHD and stuttering.

The US-based study found children with exposure to tobacco smoke had roughly double the rate of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and stuttering.

Wendy Max, Professor of Health Economics at the University of California San Francisco, said the results showed how passive smoking could impact on a child’s overall health as well as learning and social development.

“These physical and mental problems are a disadvantage to a child’s cognitive and social development,” The Age quoted Professor Max as saying.

The research took in children aged four to 15 years from smoking and non-smoking families.

The analysis took account of socioeconomic differences across smoking and non-smoking families, as well as the potential impact of smoking during pregnancy, to prevent a skewing of the results.

Children exposed to second-hand smoke were found to have double the rate of ADHD (10.6 per cent compared to 4.6 per cent), almost double the rate of stuttering (6.3 per cent compared to 3.5 per cent) and an increased rate of headaches (14.2 per cent compared to 10.0 per cent).

Looking at headaches in teenagers only, the difference increased to 26 per cent for tobacco exposed teens compared to 20 per cent for those from non-smoking families.

Further impacts of childhood tobacco exposure include an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome, increased rate of respiratory and lung disorders, higher risk of developing asthma and with more severe attacks, more cases of ear infection and a higher lifetime risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

The research was presented at the Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health underway in Sydney this week. (ANI)