While contact with smoke is a threat to anyone with asthma, it is especially dangerous for children. This is largely due to the fact that their lungs are still developing.

Children who spend the first few years of their lives in frequent contact with tobacco smoke are proven to be more likely to develop asthma. Young children in smoking households generally have more doctor visits, emergency room visits and hospitalizations than children who are not regularly exposed to secondhand smoke. Exposure to tobacco smoke can also increase the likelihood of an infant dying of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and make a child more likely to develop respiratory illnesses (e.g., bronchitis, pneumonia) or an ear infection (e.g., otitis media).

Children with asthma are also likely to experience a worsening of symptoms after exposure to tobacco smoke. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), up to one million children with asthma become more severe after exposure to second-hand smoke. In order to reduce the frequency of asthma attacks, asthmatic children should avoid all types of smoke as much as possible.

Tobacco smoke irritates the lungs and causes more mucus than usual to build up in the airways. Because children’s airways are smaller, even minor asthmatic blockages can have severe consequences for a child – particularly an infant or toddler.

In addition to the physical problems experienced by asthmatic children in smoking households, children who grow up around smokers are more likely to view smoking as acceptable and later smoke themselves.

Most physicians recommend that parents or guardians of children with asthma give up smoking completely. While this is considered difficult by many, a physician can help suggest some of the many programs and products currently available to help. Children with asthma should be raised with as little exposure to second-hand smoke as possible.

Parents of children with asthma should also make sure their child is not in contact with second-hand smoke at school, daycare or after-school activities. Restaurants and establishments that allow smoking should be avoided. Asthmatic children should also not ride in any vehicles with smokers. For more tips on what to avoid see, Preventing smoke exposure.

Pregnant women can pass many of the harmful chemicals found in tobacco smoke directly to their unborn children. Most physicians recommend that pregnant mothers immediately give up smoking and try to avoid second-hand smoke. Mothers who smoke during pregnancy are 10 times more likely to have a child who has asthma, and are much more likely to have a child with lung complications. Smoking during pregnancy also raises the chances of a child being born prematurely or with low weight.

Nursing mothers can pass along harmful chemicals to their babies if they smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day. Heavy smoking can also reduce the milk supply and cause symptoms in the nursing baby, including nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea.