A new study finds that parents may underestimate their children’s exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, and a newly identified phenomenon called thirdhand smoke may be to blame.
Thirdhand smoke occurs when chemical residue from smoking lingers in carpets, furniture. and walls long after the cigarette was lit.
Children can inhale these particles by disturbing fabric fibers while playing or ingest them by touching contaminated surfaces and then putting their hands in their mouths.
The study in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science surveyed caregivers of 162 children in three major US cities. Although 60% says their children had no exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), urine testing showed that all of the children tested positive for low levels of cotinine, which forms when nicotine is broken down in the body and is a biomarker of tobacco exposure. More than 90% of the children tested positive for intermediate levels of cotinine.
While the study couldn’t conclusively distinguish if the children were exposed to secondhand or thirdhand smoke, the caregiver surveys point to a less obvious source of tobacco smoke exposure, says lead author Katherine McKeon, PhD candidate at Tulane University’s Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
“These findings do not imply that the parents are lying but rather speak to the invasive nature of thirdhand smoke and how difficult it is to remove from buildings, cars and furniture,” McKeon says.
“Thirdhand smoke is a newer concept, but ongoing research points to it posing a highly toxic silent threat to children, particularly to children with asthma.”
While exposure to smoking poses a variety of health consequences for all, children with asthma are particularly susceptible, and environmental tobacco smoke can trigger asthma attacks.
The findings also highlight the potential for information bias if researchers rely on caregiver surveys for ETS assessments. While the study found a correlation between high levels of cotinine in asthmatic children and prevalence of asthma attacks, there was no association between caregivers who reported ETS exposure for their children and asthma attacks.
All children in the study were between the ages of 7-12 and lived in federally subsidized public housing in New Orleans, Cincinnati and Boston at the time of the study. Data was collected three times over the course of a year. Caregivers were asked two questions: “Do you or any visitor smoke in your home?” and “Do any household members use tobacco products?”
In recent years, other studies have found evidence that the tobacco smoke residue responsible for thirdhand smoke may become more toxic over time and can be resistant to conventional cleaning methods.
The findings point to a need for more research around thirdhand smoke prevalence and health risks. Additionally, the study underscores a need for alternate methods of assessing children’s exposure to tobacco smoke, such as screening for biomarkers like cotinine.
“Our research confirms that relying on caregiver surveys to assess children’s tobacco smoke exposure is inadequate and leads to significant underreporting due to an underestimated prevalence of ETS,” McKeon says.
“This misclassification may hinder proper asthma management and delay critical interventions.”
Source: Tulane University
Original Study DOI: 10.1017/cts.2024.581
Important Notice: This article was also published at www.futurity.org by Andrew Yawn-Tulane, where all credits are due.
Disclaimer
The watching, interacting, and participation of any kind with anything on this page does not constitute or initiate a doctor-patient relationship with Dr. Farrah™. None of the statements here have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The products of Dr. Farrah™ are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information being provided should only be considered for education and entertainment purposes only. If you feel that anything you see or hear may be of value to you on this page or on any other medium of any kind associated with, showing, or quoting anything relating to Dr. Farrah™ in any way at any time, you are encouraged to and agree to consult with a licensed healthcare professional in your area to discuss it. If you feel that you’re having a healthcare emergency, seek medical attention immediately. The views expressed here are simply either the views and opinions of Dr. Farrah™ or others appearing and are protected under the first amendment.
Dr. Farrah™ is a highly experienced Licensed Medical Doctor certified in evidence-based clinical nutrition, not some enthusiast, formulator, or medium promoting the wild and unrestrained use of nutrition products for health issues without clinical experience and scientific evidence of therapeutic benefit. Dr. Farrah™ has personally and keenly studied everything she recommends, and more importantly, she’s closely observed the reactions and results in a clinical setting countless times over the course of her career involving the treatment of over 150,000 patients.
Dr. Farrah™ promotes evidence-based natural approaches to health, which means integrating her individual scientific and clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research. By individual clinical expertise, I refer to the proficiency and judgment that individual clinicians acquire through clinical experience and clinical practice.
Dr. Farrah™ does not make any representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of any multimedia content provided. Dr. Farrah™ does not warrant the performance, effectiveness, or applicability of any sites listed, linked, or referenced to, in, or by any multimedia content.
To be clear, the multimedia content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen in any website, video, image, or media of any kind. Dr. Farrah™ hereby disclaims any and all liability to any party for any direct, indirect, implied, punitive, special, incidental, or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of the content, which is provided as is, and without warranties.
