Esamai F O
Department of Child Health and Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya.
East Afr Med J. 1998 Jan;75(1):47-50.
Asthma is a common chronic childhood disease yet not much is known about factors that determine its outcome. Cigarette smoke has been associated with lung cancer in adults but its effects on children has hitherto been underestimated and not well studied. Cigarette smoke has been noted through various research studies to influence the development and or the exacerbation of asthma in childhood. Furthermore the prevalence of childhood asthma is higher among the children of smoking parents, more so when both parents are smokers as compared to those of non-smoking parents. Corroborative evidence indicates elevated urine cotinine levels amongst children of smoking parents than those of non-smoking parents. There is a corresponding increase in prevalence and exacerbation of asthma symptoms among children with raised urine cotinine levels than those with low levels. The presence of other risk factors increases the risk of development and exacerbation of bronchial asthma in children exposed to tobacco smoke than those not exposed. Cigarette smoking is on the increase, especially in developing countries due to aggressive advertising and exportation by the tobacco industry from developed countries. International legislation is needed to regulate the production and exportation of tobacco products. However, this may be resisted by the influential tobacco industry and may not get the support from the developing countries due to economic gains from the sale of tobacco products. This scenario poses major health problems for the developing countries in the future.
哮喘是一种常见的儿童慢性疾病，但对于决定其病情转归的因素，人们了解得并不多。香烟烟雾与成年人肺癌有关，但它对儿童的影响迄今一直被低估且研究不足。通过各种研究发现，香烟烟雾会影响儿童哮喘的发展和/或加重。此外，吸烟父母的孩子中儿童哮喘的患病率更高，与非吸烟父母的孩子相比，父母双方都吸烟时情况更是如此。确证证据表明，吸烟父母的孩子尿液中可替宁水平高于非吸烟父母的孩子。尿液中可替宁水平升高的儿童比水平低的儿童哮喘症状的患病率和加重程度相应增加。与未接触烟草烟雾的儿童相比，其他危险因素的存在会增加接触烟草烟雾的儿童患支气管哮喘并使其病情加重的风险。吸烟现象正在增加，尤其是在发展中国家，这是由于烟草行业从发达国家进行激进的广告宣传和出口所致。需要国际立法来规范烟草产品的生产和出口。然而，这可能会遭到有影响力的烟草行业的抵制，而且由于烟草产品销售带来的经济收益，可能得不到发展中国家的支持。这种情况在未来会给发展中国家带来重大健康问题。
