UM Surabaya Lecturer: Cigarette Smoke Makes Children Easy to Drop

14 Sep
2022

Ilustrasi gambar (pixabay)

UM Surabaya Lecturer: Cigarette Smoke Makes Children Easy to Drop

Cigarette smoke is not only dangerous for active smokers, but also dangerous for people around them who do not smoke or are usually known as passive smokers.

Vella Rohmayani Lecturer in Medical Laboratory Technology (TLM) UM Surabaya explained that one of the groups that is vulnerable to exposure to cigarette smoke is young children.

“Small children have an immature system that is not yet fully formed so they are susceptible to disease. So if your little one is often exposed to cigarette smoke, it will certainly have a more severe impact,” said Vella Wednesday (14/9/22)

According to Vella, when their little one is sick, parents become anxious and worried, and make parents stay up late at night because their little one usually has difficulty sleeping soundly.

Sick children generally occur at the age of 6 months to 10 years. Several studies have stated that children experiencing pain 12 times per year are still considered normal. The diseases that most often attack children are coughs, colds, fever and diarrhea.

"Several things that can trigger children to get sick more often are lack of sleep or rest, lack of balanced nutritional intake, not carrying out immunizations, insufficient intake of vitamin D, and frequent exposure to cigarette smoke," said Vella who is also a member of the Muhammadiyah Tobacco Control Center. (MTCC) UM Surabaya.

Vella explained that the little one who is often exposed to cigarette smoke, accompanied by an unbalanced daily nutritional intake, as well as a lack of hours of sleep or rest for the child, will make it easier for the child to drop.

Based on the results of the study stated that cigarette smoke can make the immune system decrease. So if your little one is exposed to cigarette smoke, of course it will have a more severe impact, such as triggering cold coughs, headaches, throat infections, ear infections, eye irritation, and triggering bronchitis and pneumonia.

“It's not just exposure to cigarette smoke that is inhaled directly that is dangerous. But the residue of cigarette smoke left in cars, clothes and other places also causes the same danger for your little one," he said.

He reminded parents as much as possible to make the house a smoke-free area. If the father or other householder is an active smoker, be sure to change clothes, wash and brush your teeth before hanging out with your little one.

In addition, parents should not just leave their children with relatives, friends or neighbors who are active smokers.

“Make sure that the vehicle that your little one is traveling in, daycare or day care must be safe from exposure to cigarette smoke. And make sure that parents have to pay attention to rest times and their little one's daily nutritional intake is fulfilled, "concluded Vella.