Someone who does not smoke but inhales cigarette smoke is called passive smoking. Although at first glance it looks fine, being forced to become passive smokers turns out to be harmful to health. This is because, cigarette smoke inhaled by passive smokers has a higher chemical content than cigarettes smoked by active smokers.

Imagine if harmful cigarette smoke is inhaled by a baby, Moms. The respiratory tract and the immune system are still developing, making babies more at risk of inhaling cigarette smoke than adults.

Cigarette smoke contains about 3,000 toxic chemicals, with 43 of them being carcinogenic or cancer-causing. According to the pages of the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) as many as 40 percent of children in the world have even become passive smokers.

Babies who are often exposed to cigarette smoke are at high risk for coughs, colds and asthma. In addition there are several other diseases that can also arise in infants due to cigarette smoke, such as:

Respiratory tract infections

This usually occurs in children under 18 months. According to some studies, children with parents who smoke often experience lung pain, such as bronchitis, bronchiolitis and pneumonia.

Ear infections

Sinus babies exposed to cigarette smoke also risk triggering excess fluid production in the middle ear. If this is left unchecked, it is not impossible that they will get an ear infection which can lead to loss of hearing ability.

Sudden infant death syndrome

Babies who have smokers have a higher risk of sudden death. In addition, babies exposed to cigarette smoke also have a higher risk of meningitis.

Research in Santiago, Chile, shows that cigarette smoke inhaled by breastfeeding mothers can inhibit breast milk production. Within three months, the baby's weight from a mother who smoked or inhaled cigarette smoke also showed no optimal growth.

READ ALSO

Whiny Children, Here's How To Deal With It

What Do You Need to Look for in the Physical Newborn Baby?

Tips for Choosing Snacks for 6 Months Babies

Cigarette smoke can survive in the air for up to 2.5 hours, even when the ventilation of the house or window is opened. Cigarette smoke can also settle on the floor and objects that are around where someone smokes.

Then how is the best way to avoid your child from cigarette smoke?

Try never to let a smoker at home, even in an outdoor area of your home. Because wherever a person smokes, the smoke is at risk of reaching children or babies.

If a smoker wants to come into contact with your baby, then he must wash his hands, face, and change clothes first. This is important to do, because toxins derived from cigarette smoke can also stick to the body, clothes, hair, and hands.

There is no need to doubt if you need to reprimand someone who smokes near your baby. Just remember Moms, your baby has the right to breathe healthy air and avoid cigarette smoke which clearly brings many dangers to him.