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Excerpts from ASTHMA BLAMED ON ROACHES, SMOKING MOMS

UPI Science News [04/28/98]

Cockroaches, air pollution and smoking mothers may lead to serious lung trouble, and even death, for children.

In studies reported at a meeting of the American Lung Association and American Thoracic Society, investigators found these three culprits were linked to higher rates of asthma, reduced lung function and death in infants, children and young adults.

In another study, scientists from New York City's Columbia University looked for a link between parental smoking habits and lung damage in 1, 500 Yale University freshmen.

In the study, scientists measured lung function and asked the students questions about their lifetime exposure to tobacco smoke. None of the subjects were smokers themselves, says Columbia investigator Dr. Patrick Kinney.

Students whose mothers smoked had 6 percent lower lung function than those with non-smoking moms, he says. The relationship between smoking fathers and diminished breathing capacity was less clear-cut.

``The strongest thing was maternal smoking,'' Kinney says, adding that the finding makes sense because ``children are more exposed to their mothers' cigarette smoking in their home than they are to their fathers', because the fathers smoke more elsewhere.''

Kinney says the study suggests that ``effects that occurred during childhood are persisting into young adulthood.''

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