CHILDREN subjected to passive smoking by their parents are much more likely to end up in hospital, a paediatric consultant has warned.
Dr Peter Greally, a respiratory consultant at the National Children's Hospital, Harcourt Street, and Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, said research clearly indicated links between passive smoking and certain paediatric illnesses.
"About 40 per cent of all paediatric admissions are related to chest disorders and chest infections and a high percentage of those are related to passive smoking. We are at the receiving end of these problems and numerous studies have shown a link with parental smoking. A lot of what I do is avoidable," he said.
Dr Greally was speaking at the start of a Department of Health campaign to highlight the harmful effects of passive smoking on children.
Many parents were in denial about the harmful effects smoking was having on their children, he said. "I come across parents all the time who say they never smoke in front of the children. However, the child is presenting with problems typical of passive smoking."
Parents should not smoke in the same room as a child, even at a distance. "I would suggest that they go outside or if they live in an apartment go on to the landing. Even the room next door is not enough. Cigarette smoke in the atmosphere will irritate a child's lungs."
The main medical problems for children include middle ear or "glue ear" disease, new cases of asthma, coughing and wheezing, respiratory tract infection and reduced lung capacity.
The problem began, he said, when a mother smoked during pregnancy and produced a smaller baby which would also have smaller lungs and smaller bronchial tubes. The allergic state of the baby was increased and as a result there was a tendency towards asthma.
A study had been done comparing children admitted to hospital with respiratory infections and those with other complaints. "They looked at the breakdown of nicotine in the urine and found much higher levels in the children with respiratory disorders than those with other problems."
The campaign was launched yesterday by the Minister of State for Health, Mr Brian O'Shea. It is co-ordinated by the Smoking Action Group and is timed to coincide with Ash Wednesday - National No Smoking Day.
"Passive smoking is an important issue for everyone and one of the groups especially affected by environmental tobacco smoke is children," Mr O'Shea said.
He underlined the additional dangers of passive smoking. "Second-hand smoke combines mainstream smoke, which is inhaled then exhaled, and side-stream smoke which is the smoke from the cigarette in between puffs. Sidestream smoke has more - tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide and other cancer-causing chemicals than the smoke inhaled from the cigarette itself."