Kids who breathe secondhand smoke have high rates of ADHD

By Staff Writer

A growing number of studies show that children who are exposed to cigarette smoke - even by having a mother who smoked during pregnancy - can develop heart and breathing problems.

Now researchers are finding that breathing secondhand smoke can also increase children’s risk of mental and behavioral disorders, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

In a study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, researchers measured the level of cotinine - a byproduct of nicotine - in the blood of almost 3,000 kids aged 8 to 15.

They assumed that children with the highest chemical concentrations were smokers themselves, and excluded them from the study. Then they screened the rest of the subjects for symptoms of a mental or behavioral disorder.

They found that boys who were exposed to secondhand smoke were more likely to show symptoms of ADHD, depression, anxiety, and conduct disorder than those who had breathed cleaner air. Girls had similar traits, but developed elevated rates of just two of those conditions - ADHD and anxiety.

Children with any of those conditions may struggle with their studies and can benefit from attending therapeutic boarding schools. The authors of the study called for more parent involvement in letting kids know that smoking during adolescence can lead to teen depression.