Home > Smoking in pregnancy triples child infection risk.

[Irish Examiner] , von Radowitz, John Smoking in pregnancy triples child infection risk. (10 Dec 2012)

External website: http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2012/1210/wo...

Smoking when pregnant can triple the risk of a child succumbing to a major cause of meningitis, research has shown.

Inhaling tobacco smoke in the home also made young children vulnerable to invasive meningococcal infection. For those under five, passive smoking more than doubled the risk, a study found. Meningococcal bacteria are responsible for the most dangerous form of meningitis and can also invade the blood, lungs or joints.

One in 20 of those struck by invasive meningococcal disease will die, despite medical attention, and one in six will be left severely disabled.

Several studies have suggested a link between passive smoking and meningococcal disease. To investigate the association, scientists carried out a systematic review of 18 studies and pooled their results. This kind of meta-analysis can uncover trends that may be missed by individual studies.

The findings, published in the online journal BMC Public Health, show that exposure to second-hand smoke both in the home and womb significantly increases the risk of meningococcal disease.....


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