News Update: Secondhand smoke exposure most dangerous in toddlers and obese children

Article

Researchers have found that secondhand smoke is more harmful to toddlers and obese children than it is to other youth.

Researchers have found that secondhand smoke is more harmful to toddlers and obese children than it is to other youth.

The researchers studied black, white, and Hispanic US children, including 52 toddlers aged 2 to 5 years and 107 adolescents aged 9 to 18 years, to determine what effects secondhand smoke has on a pediatric population. They found a link between the amount of secondhand smoke exposure and a marker of vascular injury in toddlers; this link was 2 times greater in obese toddlers. Additionally, obese adolescents exposed to secondhand smoke had 2 times the evidence of vascular injury compared with their normal-weight counterparts, the researchers reported at a presentation at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions. The risk in toddlers was 4 times greater than the risk in adolescents.

The researchers stated that this study highlights the importance of eliminating secondhand smoke around children, especially those who are obese.

Recent Videos
Geetika Kennady, MD, FAAP
Jillian Cotter, MD
Jesse Hinckley, MD, PhD
Validating digital stethoscope for pediatric breath sounds, with Jennifer Nestor, MD
Decreasing antibiotics for acute otitis media and community acquired pneumonia, with Elysha Pifko, MD
Sensory play for children with autism, with Joshua Feder, MD
Stephanie Chao, MD
Feasibility of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in primary care | Carissa Baker-Smith, MD, MPH
Tina Tan, MD
Camille Walker CPNP-PC, MSN, CPNP Sacheen D. Harris MSN, CPNP-PC
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.