Pathological consequences of parental smoking on children: paediatricians must act

Prenatal and childhood passive tobacco smoke exposure resulting from parent al smoking may have severe side effects, such as low birth weight, prematur ity sudden infant death syndrome, upper and lower respiratory tract infecti ons and asthma. By giving information to parents, and particularly by empha sizing the dangers of passive smoke exposure for their children, pediatrici ans have a critical role to play in their prevention. This may also be help ful for adolescents who are starting to smoke actively by trying to underst and the needs that they express by this behavior, and encouraging them to g o fo a stop smoking counseling center. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et m edicales Elsevier SAS.