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A latest study has revealed that passive smoking could weaken baby’s immune system and make the child vulnerable to diseases. The study undertaken by researchers of the University of Hong Kong has found that youngsters exposed to second-hand smoke in the first six months of life were 45 per cent more likely to need hospital treatment for an infectious disease by the age of eight.
The baby if exposed to passive smoking is likely to develop respiratory problems at a young age. The study indicated that one in three children who had someone smoking within three yards of them during their early months ended up in hospital. Premature babies especially, who were exposed to tobacco smoke are twice as likely to acquire respiratory illness and meningococcal disease by the time they turn eight. The study looked at 7,402 children born in Hong Kong in 1997 who were studied until they were eight. The findings are published on the Tobacco Control website.
