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Tobacco smoke exposure increases risk for hospitalization for bronchiolitis in newborns

Passive prenatal tobacco exposure and active maternal smoking significantly influenced the risk for hospitalization for bronchiolitis in newborns during the first year of life, according to recent research from Italy.

“According to the tendencies found in this study, the elimination of smoking during pregnancy and the avoidance of second-hand [tobacco smoke exposure] in the environment where pregnant women live are mandatory in order to reduce morbidity of newborns and young infants, also in the presence of other non-modifiable [risk factors] for bronchiolitis,” Marcello Lanari, MD, PhD, of the pediatrics and neonatology unit at Imola Hospital, Imola, Italy, and colleagues wrote. “Moreover, since women are more likely to quit smoking during pregnancy than at any other time, there are efforts to increase motivation and help women who are planning to conceive to stop smoking at the procreative phase of their life or during pregnancy.”

Between 2009 and 2012, Lanari and colleagues followed 2,210 newborns who were at 33 weeks or greater of gestation age and followed up the newborns during their first year, according to the abstract. The researchers analyzed prenatal and postnatal tobacco smoke exposure by asking mothers whether they smoked, how often they smoked and whether others smoked around them inside or outside the home during their pregnancy and the first year of life of the newborns.

Although there were no deaths during the study period, Lanari and colleagues found 120 patients (5.4%) were hospitalized within their first year of life due to bronchiolitis, according to the abstract. There was a significant increase for bronchiolitis risk leading to hospitalization for mothers who smoked more than 15 cigarettes daily (adjusted HR = 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1-2.6) and for prenatal passive tobacco smoke exposure (adjusted HR = 3.5; 95% CI, 1.5-8.1). – by Jeff Craven

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.