I Smoked During Pregnancy, Did it Cause My Child’s Asthma
- Saturday, August 8, 2009, 13:09
- Asthma
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- Colleen: I have a three-year-old with asthma-related symptoms. Is this a real syndrome, and if so, does it mean it will definitely turn into asthma? Also, I quit smoking through my first two pregnancies, and they are fine. I did not quit until my 8th month in my third pregnancy and he is the one that has the symptoms. I feel terrible thinking this may be the reason, and if it is, how can I make it better? He is on albuterol & Azmacort when sick, and Intal everyday.
- Dr. Kraemer: By asthma-related symptoms, I assume you mean that they have intermittent episodes of cough, and breathlessness, and even wheezing during times of respiratory viral illnesses (or colds). Most doctors are reluctant to label a child as asthmatic, but a three-year-old with repeated episodes of cough and wheezing during respiratory illnesses does require some explanation. If you can rule out other possible lung problems, it usually turns out to be a mild and intermittent form of asthma. Often these children will improve with time, as long as they have only minimal issues that are “driving” their symptoms. You will probably have a much better outcome if you can minimize any long-term inflammation with the Intal or Azmacort medications. If the child is also allergic, you will need to avoid the indoor exposure to relevant allergens, like mites, cockroach, and pets.
Smoking during pregnancy does increase the risk for developing childhood wheezing illnesses. This effect occurs even if the mother quits smoking before or just after the delivery. The mother’s smoke seems to have a permanent effect on the developing lungs. The answer is for you to quit again, and quit for good. Then you won’t have any future pregnancies complicated by that exposure.
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