Exposure to tobacco smoke and type of acute respiratory infections in children

: Respiratory diseases are the most common cause of the child and family practice physicians are one of the main reasons for referral to a specialist clinic and hospital pediatric wards. The severity of respiratory disease in adolescence influenced by various factors, endo- and exogenous. Some of them, especially environmental factors can be eliminated or reduced and thus reduce the risk of developing this disease. The most common source of pollutants in dwellings is tobacco smoke. The aim of this study was to assess exposure to tobacco smoke in three years old children of attending local kindergartens in Bialystok and its influence on the type of recovery from acute respiratory infections by the respondents. The study included 313 children from among the 1,200 who attend the local 51-kindergartens in Bialystok. Information on the structure of tobacco use in three-years-old-children's families and respiratory illnesses among random children were obtained, based on anonymous questionnaires completed by their carers. Exposure to tobacco smoke was based on questionnaires and serum cotinine in relation to creatinine in the urine of patients (K/K). In the 150 families surveyed children found 210 smoking people. Every day smoked 37.3% of fathers and 23.6% of mothers. Of the children surveyed--34% of the houses which where there was a prohibition on tobacco use, 35% of the houses which were smoked in enclosed areas, in 31% of homes have not been established no-smoking rules. Children who during the six-month period to attend kindergarten gone lower respiratory tract infection had mean K/K (59.57 ng/mg) higher than the ones that were healthy and underwent upper respiratory tract infection. Used by the parents of the children tested in part to reduce the exposure to tobacco smoke in the home environment was ineffective and did not influence the decrease in the incidence of lower respiratory tract.