Babies Shouldn’t Smoke!
Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
We know that too much medication is a poison. We know that cleaning materials ingested are poisons. Why, then, is it so difficult for too many parents to understand that smoke is, indeed, a poison?
A Yahoo! story this week reminds us all of the dangers of smoke on children, babies in fact but adds an interesting twist. The article cites a study that suggests that babies not exposed to smoke are happier. If this is true, than being totally smoke free is better for a child’s physical and mental healths!
The study, out of the University of York, also may give insight into maternal characteristics that help babies with a calm demeanor. The researchers noted that moms who were able to quit smoking during pregnancy seemed to have more stable relationships and better coping skills compared to moms who had trouble halting smoking during pregnancy. While they were also quick to not draw too many more conclusions given the addictive quality of nicotine, it is an interesting observation. I think we’d all agree that moms that have it together are able to parent better - but whether smoking is a key to that will have to be determined in future studies.
What this study did not address was that nicotine has been shown to disrupt the sleep of babies. Clearly a sleep-deprived baby will be grumpy and will have sleep-deprived, not so happy parents. This will have to be factored into the big picture, too, while the smoke and happy baby relationship is being teased out.
That said, I return to my original question. Why is it so difficult for parents to understand that smoke is a poison? Don’t you now have enough proof? I know that the stuff is horribly addicting and quitting this habit is one of the most challenging on earth. If it were me, I’d be looking into the eyes of my kids for daily motivation. Perhaps you should do the same.
Here are some resources to help you quit this horrible habit:
Great American Smokeout
Smokefree.gov
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