Relation between passive tobacco smoke exposure and the development of bacterial meningitis in children.

BACKGROUND

The adverse effects of passive smoking have received wide attention in recent years. Although a number of childhood illnesses are known to be affected by exposure to tobacco smoke, to date the medical literature is silent about the effect of tobacco smoke on the development of bacterial meningitis in children. The purpose of this study was to learn whether any such association exists.

METHODS

Parents of 93 children admitted for bacterial meningitis were surveyed to ascertain which of the children were exposed to passive tobacco smoke. A similar survey was conducted of an age- and sex-matched control group.

RESULTS

Children admitted for bacterial meningitis were significantly more likely to have been exposed to tobacco smoke than was a control group of children admitted for abdominal surgery. (P = 0.017; odds ratio 2.63, 95 percent confidence interval 1.15, 4.87).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study indicate that bacterial meningitis in children should be added to the growing list of illnesses associated with passive exposure to cigarette smoke.