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Secondhand Smoke
Secondhand Smoke
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It seems that the dangers of secondhand smoke keep growing with every new study. Once again, parents need to be warned that smoking in the home can seriously harm the kids. The latest report says that secondhand smoke increases the risk of ear infections in children. Six hundred twenty-five first grade students in 36 schools were studied and the researchers found that pre-school age children, who live with two or more smokers during the first three years of life, were at 85% higher risk for a persistent or a recurrent ear infection. Children whose mothers smoke 10 or more cigarettes were 68% higher risk for problems. If you have a child with recurrent ear infections, and you are a smoker, it is possible that by kicking the habit you might save your child from repeated infections, frequent visits to the doctor, and even an operation for tubes.
I'm Dr. Brian McDonough.