Should You Wash Your Hands if You Smoke Before Touching a Baby
No. Smoking outside is better than smoking indoors, but no matter where you smoke your baby can still be exposed to cigarette poisons.
Whenever you smoke, poisons such as nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide can get into your hair and clothes and remain there for at least an hour. You also continue to exhale these poisons for several minutes after extinguishing the cigarette. So if you have a cigarette and then hold your baby, she will breathe in these harmful substances.
Smoking inside your home when your baby isn't there is not safe either. Poisons from cigarette smoke can settle on surfaces throughout your house, and stay there long after the smoke and smells disperse. Your baby is particularly vulnerable to this, as she may crawl and walk on floors covered with cigarette poisons. She may also play with, touch, and mouth contaminated toys and objects.
Smoke has also been found to go through floors and ceilings. This means that even if your baby does not go into the room where you smoke, the toxins could still reach her.
It's illegal to smoke in a car or other vehicle with a baby or child present. This applies even if you have the window open, or sit in a parked car with the door open.
If your baby is exposed to cigarette poisons, she will be more prone to colds, asthma, and chest and ear infections. She will also be more likely to get glue ear, which can lead to partial deafness. Babies breathing cigarette smoke also have an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Quitting smoking is safest for your baby, as it means there's no chance of her being exposed to poisons from your cigarettes. Stopping smoking is easier said than done, so get help if you need it. Ask your GP, midwife, or health visitor for support and ask if your local area has a specialist stop-smoking service for women and families. Or find out more about how the NHS can help you stop.
However, if you haven't managed to stop yet, or if you have family or friends who smoke, set a strict a no-smoking policy. Don't allow anyone to smoke in your house or anywhere near your baby, even if she's outdoors.
You can get smoke-free zone stickers and cards from your GP's practice or health visitor. These will send the message to your guests that your home is a no-smoking area.
If any friends or relatives who are smokers want to hold your baby, ask them to wash their hands and change their clothes first. This will reduce your baby's exposure to the harmful toxins.
References
This article was written using the following sources:
ASH. 2013. Smoking and reproduction. Action on Smoking and Health. www.ash.org.uk [pdf file, accessed January 2014]
Burke H et al. 2012. Prenatal and passive smoke exposure and incidence of asthma and wheeze: systematic review and meta-analysis. Pediatrics. 129(4):735-44
Lannero E, Wickman M et al. 2008. Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and sensitisation in children. Thorax. 63:172-76
NHS. 2012. Healthy lifestyle and breastfeeding. NHS Choices. www.nhs.uk [Accessed January 2014]
Royal College of Physicians. 2010. Passive smoking and children. www.rcplondon.ac.uk [pdf file, accessed January 2014]
Van Nguyen JM, Abenhaim HA. 2013. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Review for the Obstetric Care Provider. American Journal of Perinatology. 30(9):703-14
WHO. 2007. Protection from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke: policy recommendations. whqlibdoc.who.int [pdf file, accessed January 2014]
Polly Logan-Banks is an experienced editor with a keen interest in producing evidence-based content. Polly is passionate about ensuring that every child gets the best start in life.
Should You Wash Your Hands if You Smoke Before Touching a Baby
Source: https://www.babycentre.co.uk/x1048535/will-smoking-outside-protect-my-baby-from-second-hand-smoke
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