Infants born with very low birth weights are at a higher risk of lung ailments in the first 12 months of life and exposure to cigarette smoke and pests at home aggravate the problem. Preterm infants have a substantially higher risk of developing respiratory illnesses. To analyse the impact of modifiable postnatal exposures on respiratory functioning of infants, researchers from America studied 124 very low birth weight infants. Parents were called at 1 year to assess respiratory outcomes and environmental exposures. It was found that 47 percent of the infants required one or more acute care visits and 11 percent had to be hospitalised for respiratory illness during the first year of their life. Eighty-two percent of infants were exposed to at least one indoor environmental trigger, and one third lived in a home with a smoker. The above findings indicate that the infants who lived with a smoker and those who were exposed to pests were more likely to need acute care for respiratory illnesses compared to those who weren't exposed. The researchers advise medical care providers to talk to families about these risks and provide appropriate counselling and support to help families make needed changes in their homes.
Archives of Diseases in Childhood
January 2009