Can Secondary Smoking Cause Hearing Problems In Kids?

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If you are a parent who has young kids and you are a smoker too, then you must definitely read this article, because, exposing children to cigarette smoke can have potential health risks.

As parents, we would want our kids to have the best of everything, which includes good health, right?

We do everything we can to ensure that our kids remain safe and free of diseases. For instance, we do not allow them to eat junk food on a regular basis, so that they are not affected by digestive diseases.

However, many a times, unknowingly, we would be exposing our children to certain health hazards.

One such instance is when a parent smokes cigarettes constantly when the child is around, and exposing the child to second-hand smoking.

As we know smoking can have extremely harmful effects on the smoker's health, as well as the health of the person who is exposed to the smoke, including diseases like lung cancer!

So, can secondary smoking affect a child's hearing? Let us find out.

Effects Of Nicotine Before Birth

If a woman smokes while she is pregnant, or if a pregnant woman is exposed to secondary smoking on a regular basis, even then, her unborn can suffer certain negative health effects.

A research study has claimed that exposing a foetus to cigarette smoke can cause certain genetic defects, decreased brain activity, weak lungs, etc.

In addition, when a pregnant woman is exposed to cigarette smoke, her health can deteriorate too, causing complications during labour.

Now, how can secondary smoking affect a young child? Let us see.

Link Between Secondary Smoking & Hearing Problems In Kids

According to a research study published in The Journal Of Physiology, when young children, between the ages of 3 months to 3 years, are exposed to consistent nicotine smoke, it can lead to certain auditory impairments.

When very young kids are exposed to cigarette smoke, it could lead to abnormal developments in their auditory brainstem, causing weaker hearing skills in them, is what the research study opines.

So, in conclusion, secondary smoking can actually cause hearing impairments in children, when done on a regular basis.