Secondhand Smoke Just As Harmful To The Fetus

A new study confirms previous research about the evils of secondhand smoke on the developing fetus. Long-term health may be affected by certain genetic mutations as a result of being exposed to the secondhand smoke.

Previous research discovered abnormalities in the HPRT gene located on the X chromosome when studying the blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord of a mother that had been exposed to secondhand smoke.

“The abnormalities, which were indistinguishable from those found in newborns of mothers who were active smokers, may affect survival, birth weight and lifelong susceptibility to diseases like cancer.”

Since then, new research has discovered a mutation in another gene called glycophorin A (GPA). This gene is an oncogene, a gene that, when mutated or expressed at high levels, helps turn a normal cell into a tumor cell.

“The GPA mutation was the same level and type in newborns of mothers who were active smokers and of non-smoking mothers exposed to tobacco smoke. Likewise, the mutations were discernable in newborns of women who had stopped smoking during their pregnancies, but who did not actively avoid secondhand smoke.”

This evidence should be a clear message to expectant mothers that kicking the habit for 9 months is simply not enough.

Some facts to consider before lighting up…

Of the 4,000 chemicals identified in secondhand smoke, 250 are known to be harmful and more than 50 have been found to cause cancer.

Some of these chemicals include: arsenic (a heavy metal toxin), benzene (a chemical found in gasoline), beryllium (a toxic metal), cadmium (a metal used in batteries), chromium (a metallic element), ethylene oxide (a chemical used to sterilize medical devices), nickel (a metallic element), polonium–210 (a chemical element that gives off radiation) and vinyl chloride (a toxic substance used in plastics manufacture)…just to name a few.

Secondhand smoke causes heart disease in adults and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), ear infections, and asthma attacks in children.

Second-hand smoke causes 600,000 premature deaths per year.

31% of the deaths attributable to second-hand smoke occur in children.

Approximately 3,000 adult nonsmokers in the US die each year from lung cancer as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke.

Secondhand smoke is thought to cause about 46,000 heart disease deaths each year in the US.

The Surgeon General estimates that just living with a smoker increases your odds of developing lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent.

Some research suggests that secondhand smoke may increase the risk of breast cancer, nasal sinus cavity cancer, and nasopharyngeal cancer in adults, and leukemia, lymphoma, and brain tumors in children.

Secondhand smoke may increase the risk of heart disease by an estimated 25 to 30 percent.

Some research suggests a link between exposure to secondhand smoke and the risk of stroke and hardening of the arteries.

About 40% of all children are regularly exposed to second-hand smoke at home.

Youths exposed to second-hand smoke at home are 1.5 to 2 times more likely to start smoking than those not exposed.

10% of the economic costs related to tobacco use are attributable to second-hand smoke.

Tobacco use imposes both direct economic costs on society, such as health care costs and indirect costs, such as those associated with reduced productivity or lost wages because of death or illness.

More than 94% of people are unprotected by smoke-free laws.

In 2008 the number of people protected from second-hand smoke by such laws increased by 74% to 362 million from 208 million in 2007.

Of the 100 most populous cities, 22 are now smoke-free.

The amount of life expectancy lost from each pack of cigarettes smoked is approximately 28 minutes

A typical smoker loses 25 years off their life.

Finally, in case anyone actually needed to be made aware…there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.

Exposure to Secondhand Smoke in the Womb Has Lifelong Impact, Study Finds
Oncogene
National Cancer Institute
World Health Organization
Effect of Smoking on Life Span

© www.thehealthnewsblog.com