Children exposed to cigarette smoke have a much greater chance of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), reported medicalnewstoday.com.
A U.S. study followed children aged 4 to 11 and adolescents 12 to 15 years, measuring their exposure to tobacco through blood tests that showed the exact amount of cotinine levels in the blood (a measure of exposure to tobacco smoke).
Taking into account socio-economic factors and prenatal exposure, the study concluded that kids exposed to second-hand smoke had double the rate of ADHD (10.6 per cent), almost double the rate of stuttering (6.3 per cent), and an increased number of headaches (14.2 per cent compared to 10 per cent).
Researchers believe that these ailments could have an negative impact on children’s overall well-being, especially learning and education.
“Our research shows children who are exposed to tobacco smoke are impacted in three different areas of their development. These physical and mental problems are a disadvantage to a child’s cognitive and social development,” said researcher Wendy Max, Professor of Health Economics at the University of California San Francisco.