Smoking fathers put babies at asthma risk

London, September 9, 2014: A baby has a greater risk of contracting asthma if his or her father smoked prior to conception, finds a new study. “It is important to know how a father’s smoking habit pre-conception can affect the respiratory health of his children,” said Dr. Cecile Svanes from the University of Bergen, Norway.

Analysing the smoking habits of over 13,000 men and women via a questionnaire, researchers found that non-allergic asthma was significantly more common in children with a father who smoked prior to conception.

This risk of asthma increased if a father smoked before the age of 15 and this risk grew proportionately with decrease in the age of initiation. However, researchers observed no link between the mother’s smoking prior to conception and a child’s asthma.

Source: Morung Express