Exposure To Cigarette Smoke And Pneumonia To Children, Risk Of Hospitalization 4 Times Higher

JAKARTA - Pneumonia or inflammation of the lungs due to infection is the highest infectious disease that causes child mortality worldwide. UNICEF noted that nearly 2.200 children under the age of five died from pneumonia every day around the world.

Thus, prevention of this disease must continue to be done. One thing parents can do to prevent it is to prevent children from being exposed to cigarette smoke.

Please note, exposure to cigarette smoke can cause children to contract pneumonia. The data even states that children exposed to cigarette smoke 4 times higher require hospitalization and treatment in the ER.

"Children who are exposed to cigarettes are 4 times higher requiring hospitalization, due to respiratory problems, with 2 to 3 times having to come to the ER," said Child Specialist Consultant of Respirology, dr. Wahyuni Indrawati, Sp.A(K), in the Pondok Indah area, South Jakarta, on Sunday, November 17, 2024.

Doctor Wahyuni said that children are not only exposed to cigarette smoke directly, so the risk of pneumonia is getting higher.

If parents smoke outside the home but don't clean themselves, such as changing clothes, washing hands and bathing before meeting the child, then dangerous substances from cigarettes that stick to their bodies can also hit the child.

This can cause respiratory tract defense mechanisms in both active smokers and passive smokers to be damaged. Damage to this respiratory tract defense mechanism makes viruses, bacteria, pollutants unable to be cleaned optimally, so that it accumulates in the respiratory tract and causes diseases such as pneumonia.

The danger of cigarette smoke is that it will lower our respiratory tract mechanism. Inside the airway there is a layer like fur whose function is if something enters, which is dangerous for our airways to be swept out so that it does not cause a dangerous impact. The fur is called silia," he said.

"In someone who breathes cigarette smoke, or first hand smoke, or second or third like that, it will cause the silia movement to not move. So when there are germs, viruses, pollutants, they will not be able to come out so that it causes disease," he added.

Therefore, Doctor Wahyuni reminded parents to pay more attention to smoking which can affect their own health conditions and their families, especially children. Moreover, the data shows that the risk of children entering the hospital due to exposure to cigarette smoke is quite high.

Cigarette smoke does not directly cause disease, but it will make it easier for someone to get sick. Cigarette smoke damages the respiratory tract defense system. Someone who is exposed like that, he has a 4 times greater (pneumonia) risk, compared to people who are not exposed. He also risks 2 times more frequently entering the ER. So that's what must be explained to parents," concluded dr. Wahyuni.