This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 200406-711OCv1 171/1/78    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Tepper, R. S. Articles by Daggy, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Tepper, R. S. Articles by Daggy, J.

Parental Smoking and Airway Reactivity in Healthy Infants

Departments of Pediatrics and Biostatistics, Indiana University Medical Center, James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children, Indianapolis, Indiana

Correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to Robert S. Tepper, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University Medical Center, James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children, 702 Barnhill Drive, ROC 4270, Indianapolis, IN 46202–5225. E-mail: rtepper{at}iupui.edu

Parental tobacco smoking is associated with lower airway function and an increased incidence of wheezy respiratory illnesses in infants. We evaluated in 76 healthy infants whether exposure to parental tobacco smoking was associated with airway hyperreactivity, which could contribute to lower airway function and the increased wheezy illnesses. Airway function was measured using the raised-volume rapid thoracic compression technique, and airway reactivity was assessed by methacholine challenge (0.015–10 mg/ml), which was stopped for a more than 30% decrease in forced expiratory flow (FEF)₇₅ or the final dose with a less than 30% decrease. Parental tobacco smoking was associated with lower baseline airway function (FEF₅₀, 600 vs. 676 ml/second, p < 0.04; FEF_25–75, 531 vs. 597 ml/second, p < 0.05). Infants exposed to tobacco smoking were approximately half as likely to develop a more than 30% decline in FEF₇₅ at any given methacholine dose (hazard ratio = 0.4, p = 0.001). In addition, a history of asthma in an extended family member increased the likelihood that an infant would develop a more than 30% decline in FEF₇₅ (hazard ratio = 1.7, p = 0.04). We conclude that exposure to parental smoking is associated with lower airway function but not increased airway reactivity; however, family history of asthma is associated with heightened airway reactivity.

Key Words: airway function • bronchial reactivity • cotinine • tobacco smoke exposure

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. J. Llapur, T. M. Martinez, C. Coates, C. Tiller, J. L. Wiebke, X. Li, K. Applegate, H. O. Coxson, and R. S. Tepper Lung structure and function of infants with recurrent wheeze when asymptomatic Eur. Respir. J., January 1, 2009; 33(1): 107 - 112. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Bush Update in Pediatric Lung Disease 2007 Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., April 1, 2008; 177(7): 686 - 695. [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Bush Update in Pediatric Lung Disease 2006 Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., March 15, 2007; 175(6): 532 - 540. [Full Text] [PDF]

				C.-Y. Zhong, Y. M. Zhou, J. P. Joad, and K. E. Pinkerton Environmental Tobacco Smoke Suppresses Nuclear Factor-{kappa}B Signaling to Increase Apoptosis in Infant Monkey Lungs Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., August 15, 2006; 174(4): 428 - 436. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Nawrot, A. Nemmar, and B. Nemery Update in environmental and occupational medicine 2005. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., May 1, 2006; 173(9): 948 - 952. [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Bush Update in pediatrics 2005. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., March 15, 2006; 173(6): 585 - 592. [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Hasler, P. J. Gergen, D. G. Kleinbaum, V. Ajdacic, A. Gamma, D. Eich, W. Rossler, and J. Angst Asthma and Panic in Young Adults: A 20-Year Prospective Community Study Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., June 1, 2005; 171(11): 1224 - 1230. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]