Secondhand smoking linked to behavioral disorders in children

A new research revealed that children from households with smokers are more likely to develop behavioral disorders and learning problems than those from smoke-free homes.

The findings were released in the journal “Pediatrics.”

It was traditionally thought that secondhand smoke causes health problems for children including respiratory difficulties. 

However, after studying some 55,358 children under age of 12, the team concluded that secondhand smoking may also be related to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder, and other behavioral complications.

Although the team could not identify the cause and effect relationship between smoking and behavioral problems, they found a substantial link. According to the research, children exposed to secondhand smoke have a 50 percent higher chance of having special needs.

“We have found that children who are exposed to secondhand smoke in the home have a 50 percent increased odds of having two or three of these common neurobehavioral disorders,” told Hillel Alpert, a researcher from Harvard School of Public Health, said.

The study also took account of education and financial level of parents as well as other factors that may relate to behavioral disorder.


By Kang Yoon-seung
(koreacolin@gmail.com)
Intern reporter