Second hand smoke increases risk of meningitis in infants

Infants and children who are exposed to second hand smoke in the home could be at risk from deadly diseases such as meningitis, a new study has revealed.

Passive smoking weakens the immune system in babies and toddlers which puts them more at risk from infectious diseases including meningitis and septicaemia.

The study was carried out by scientists in Hong Kong and now Meningitis UK is warning UK parents to be aware of potential problems.

The study, published on the Tobacco Control journal website, looked at 7,402 children who were born in 1997 until their eighth birthday. Those exposed to fumes within a three metre range were associated with a higher risk of hospital admission, and premature babies or those less than three months old were most at risk.

Kate Rowland, Head of Development at Meningitis UK, said: "We welcomed the cigarette bans in public places throughout the UK but now this research shows how important it is to avoid smoking around young children in the home as well.

"Here at Meningitis UK we represent thousands of families who have suffered the devastation of meningitis and our sole focus is to find a vaccine to eradicate the disease completely.

"In the absence of a vaccine it is imperative that measures are taken to reduce the risk, including avoiding smoking around babies and young children."

Parents who smoke increase the risk of their babies catching meningitis because cigarette smoke helps the bacteria adhere to the tissues lining the throat.

Kate added: "To ensure we reach our goal even faster and save more lives, many of our research projects add value to work already being undertaken by industry. Last year we launched our Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign to raise £7million to support the breakthroughs which are currently being made.

"Great advances have been made in the last 20 years including vaccines against Hib, Meningitis C and Pneumococcal Meningitis and our scientists believe that with enough support, a vaccine against Meningitis B could be found within the next few years."

Bookmark this article: