Smoking during conception increases asthma risk

Smoking habits of the fathers cause an asthma risk in the offspring

09/09/2014

Men who are smokers during conception use their tobacco to increase the risk of asthma for their children. That applies, the researchers say, even then, „if the fathers quit smoking long before they were conceived“. This is reported by Norwegian scientists from the University of Bergen. The study results were presented at the International Congress of European Pulmonary Specialists in Munich on Monday.

Smoking harms not only the consumer himself, but also his descendants. Norwegian researchers have been able to use a study to show how much the effects of smoking the fathers on their children. The starting age was also striking. The earlier the man started smoking, the higher the risk for the child later to develop allergic asthma. „Guys who started smoking before the age of 15 showed a tripled risk of causing asthma in the offspring“, reminded study leader and pulmonary expert Cecilie Svanes.

Sperm very vulnerable in a certain developmental stage
„Probably the sperm are particularly susceptible to harmful influences at a certain stage of development“, the researchers write. This does not mean, however, that the later onset of smoking addiction does not harm the children. Play here „the period and consumer behavior play an important role“. Anyone who has smoked for more than 10 years before conception increases the asthma risk for the offspring by a whopping 50 percent.

„In view of these results, we can assume that the impact has any impact on any type of air pollution, including at work or with chemical stress“, said Svanes. Smoking women do not seem to produce any negative effects before conception. However, smoking in the course of pregnancy has a massive effect on the unborn child.

To conduct the study, the consumption patterns of more than 13,000 men and women were observed over 20 years. During the long-term study, questionnaires were handed out to the participants. Regardless, it may be that not all parties always provided the full truth, even though the questionnaire was anonymous. (Sb)