4. Childhood and Youth

When a person is smoking, numerous chemicals are absorbed into the bloodstream, most of which pass through the placental barrier. While the mother is smoking, the nicotine level in the foetal blood is threefold in comparison with maternal blood.

The biggest risks of the baby during its first year are infection diseases and cot death. The risk factors of cot death are as yet insufficiently known, but mother’s smoking during pregnancy and the baby’s exposure to tobacco smoke increase the risk of cot death.

The exposure to tobacco smoke is manifested in the health of school-aged children by increased risk of infections, deterioration of asthma and symptoms of allergy.