Community & Environment-Infants

Why does this matter?

The adverse impact of environmental tobacco smoke (more commonly known as secondhand smoke) on children’s health is widely documented and acknowledged. While exposure to secondhand smoke is harmful to all people, it is especially harmful to infants and children because their respiratory, immune and nervous systems are still developing. Furthermore, children are often exposed to secondhand smoke involuntarily and do not have the means to avoid exposure.

Secondhand smoke exposure is associated with numerous health problems in children, including: 

• Weaker lungs.
• Respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia and bronchitis.
• More severe asthma attacks.
• Ear infections.
• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
• Behavioral problems and neurocognitive deficits.

Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to have to utilize health care services in the forms of visiting an emergency department or having an overnight hospital stay. The estimated economic burden of secondhand smoke among children ages 3-14 was $62.9 million for emergency room visits in 2010.

Why does this matter?

The price of child care can be staggering. The annual price of care for two children surpasses the cost of rent or mortgage payments in most states. Center-based child care comes in many forms, such as child care centers, day nurseries, nursery schools and preschools, all of which are integral to raising children in the United States. Child care ? both formal and informal (via relatives) ? allows parents to work and contribute to the economy. 

A study of working parents found that inadequate child care impacted their work productivity and had negative effects on their careers.