A baby has a higher risk of developing asthma if their father smoked, even before conception.
A recent study is the first to look at the link between fathers' smoking habits before conception and children's asthma risk, the European Lung Foundation reported. The findings build upon past animal studies suggesting a father's exposures before birth can harm the child.
The study looked at the smoking habits of over 13,000 men and women through a questionnaire. The researchers analyzed the link in mothers and fathers and looked at the number of years a person had smoked before conception as well as the incidence rate of asthma in their children.
The results shows non-allergic asthma rates were significantly more common in children whose fathers had smoked before they were conceived. The rate of asthma increased even further if the father had started smoking before the age of 15; the longer the father had smoked the higher the risk. The team did not find a link between the mother's smoking habits and asthma risk in her offspring.
"This study is important as it is the first study looking at how a father's smoking habit pre-conception can affect the respiratory health of his children. Given these results, we can presume that exposure to any type of air pollution, from occupational exposures to chemical exposures, could also have an effect. It is important for policymakers to focus on interventions targeting young men and warning them of the dangers of smoking and other exposures to their unborn children in the future," said Dr. Cecile Svanes, from the University of Bergen, Norway.
The findings were presented at at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress in Munich on Sept. 8 2014. "This year's ERS Congress will see the launch of Healthy Lungs for Life; one of the largest ever lung health campaigns, raising awareness of the importance of healthy lungs through a full range of events, projects and promotional activities," the Foundation reported.
