FRIDAY, Dec. 19, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- Establishing a no-smoking policy at home to protect babies is more likely to last if it's started soon after the birth of a child, says a study in the December issue of Nicotine & Tobacco Research.
The Baylor College of Medicine study of 325 women who took part in a smoking-cessation program during pregnancy found that three months after birth, 63 percent of the homes had a no-smoking policy. That dropped to 60 percent at six months and then increased to 64 percent at one year.
Homes where a no-smoking policy was established at three months after birth were more likely than others to still have a no-smoking policy at six months. Mothers who said they were confident they could control smoking in their homes were more likely to have a no-smoking policy.
Research has linked secondhand smoke to an increased risk of asthma, ear and lung infections, and sudden death infant syndrome in children. A 1992 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report estimated that half to two-thirds of American children under age 5 may be exposed to secondhand smoke in the home.
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