Posted on 05/23/2006 11:53:56 AM PDT by Moonman62
SAN FRANCISCO -- A new Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center study shows that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, even at extremely low levels, is associated with behavior problems in children and pre-teens.
While the study examined 5 to 11 year olds with asthma, the findings most likely could be extrapolated to include children without asthma who "act out" or experience depression and anxiety, according to Kimberly Yolton, Ph.D., a researcher at the Children's Environmental Health Center at Cincinnati Children's and the study's main author
The study will be presented at 8:30 a.m. Pacific time Sunday, April 30, at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in San Francisco.
"This study provides further incentive for states to set public health standards to protect children from exposure to environmental tobacco smoke," says Dr. Yolton.
Dr. Yolton examined 225 children and pre-teens exposed to at least five cigarettes a day. On average, the children were exposed to approximately 14 cigarettes a day. The children were enrolled in an asthma intervention study. Dr. Yolton included additional measures to assess child behaviors.
To measure exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, Dr. Yolton measured levels of cotinine in the children's blood. Cotinine is a substance produced when nicotine is broken down by the body and can be measured in blood, urine, saliva and hair. It is considered the best available marker of environmental tobacco smoke exposure.
Dr. Yolton found a relationship between cotinine levels and increases in acting out; increases in holding things in, often manifested by anxiety and depression; increases in behavior problems as rated by parents, and behavior and school problems as rated by teachers; and, decreases in the ability to adapt to behavior problems.
"The greater the exposure to tobacco smoke, the greater the problems these children had," says Dr. Yolton. "Behavior problems in children have increased from 7 to 18 percent over the last 20 years for reasons that are poorly understood. Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for child behavior problems."
In the United States, about 25 percent of children are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke in their own homes, yet more than 50 percent of children have detectable levels of cotinine in their blood, according to Dr. Yolton.
Previous studies have found link between tobacco smoke and birth weight, number of infections and other health problems, including asthma exacerbations. In a groundbreaking study in 2002, Dr. Yolton found that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, even at extremely low levels, is associated with decreases in certain cognitive skills, including reading, math, and logic and reasoning, in children and adolescents.
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Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is a 475-bed institution devoted to bringing the world the joy of healthier kids. Cincinnati Children's is dedicated to transforming the way health care is delivered by providing care that is timely, efficient, effective, family-centered, equitable and safe. Cincinnati Children's ranks third nationally among all pediatric centers in research grants from the National Institutes of Health. It is a teaching affiliate of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. The Cincinnati Children's vision is to be the leader in improving child health. Additional information can be found at www.cincinnatichildrens.org.
Very good, Diana.
You also, obvously don't BUY the truth. Nor do you believe it, propaganda seems to be more comfortable to you.
"I'd have thought that was true about anyone who loved kids anywhere near as much as I do."
Don't you just love this kind of thinking?
Tyranny, it's for the children.
Oh really? If you're so smart, how come you're not driving a taxi?
Talk about pointless drivel...
I will repost it for you:
If secondhand smoke causes children to become rebellious and antisocial, then please explain how the behavior of children has become more rebellious and antisocial in the decades since overall smoking rates have declined significantly in the United States. Defend your postition.
Why do you refuse to answer the question?
LOL!!!!! ROFL!!!!!
Holy crap! I'm speechless and I'm a nonsmoker. DOUBLE WOW! Your list indicates quite a few things that I'd better get on the stick and do.
I might come back to you on the adoption part. That is the one part that gets me for sure. Some people who get to raise kids sure don't realize what a privilege they have.
But you have put reemphasized the driving point to me. My approach is to take a look at the things I have and what GOOD I can do in serving others rather than whine and complain and doing nothing.
THANKS for the wonderful reminder.
Glad I now have an excuse for my teenage rebellion.
You're bad, Moog - really bad..........
Hi buddy. long time no talk!!!!
My approach too, there are many factors in many problems.
I guess I don't like my kids after all.
- - - -
I have no idea what any given individual does or feels or does not or does not feel regarding a long list of things including their own children.
I don't recall authoring a survey hereon nor distributing the survey nor collecting the survey nor analyzing the survey.
I did comment about a general, global impression I have on these threads. General--as in no specific--as in G E N E R A L--with all the hazards that go with being general.
You'll have to take up your feelings and actions regarding your kids with God. I wouldn't want to even begin to get into that business.
The answer is the influx of Walmartions in the last few decades.
Oh, I think most research warrants a skeptical eye.
But not a wholesale narrow, rigid, blindly biased, selfishly motivated toss in the trash of every aspect of solid research.
Methinks you just went off the deep-end, laddy.
Hi buddy. long time no talk!!!!
I know, busier than anything. Getting to be the end of the year and testing and all sorts of stuff. I'm excited for next year though.
But at least I know there are some Walmartians you like!!!!!
Oh, I think most research warrants a skeptical eye.
True. I say we put a squadron of cyclops there.
"If secondhand smoke causes children to become rebellious and antisocial, then please explain how the behavior of children has become more rebellious and antisocial in the decades since overall smoking rates have declined significantly in the United States. Defend your postition."
That, my freinds, seems to be the $64 question.
freinds=friends
There. All better.
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