Study: Thirdhand smoke harms infants' intestinal health

A study has found that infants who were exposed to smoke on people’s clothes, hair and skin while in the hospital, had changes in the microbiome of their intestinal systems which can make them less able to digest food properly and can reduce their resistance to diseases. The study was conducted with infants in a neonatal intensive care unit, by University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHealth) researchers.

“One of the most important things parents can do is to completely eliminate the use of tobacco in the household. If you can get everyone in the household to stop smoking, you can better protect the infant’s overall health,” said Thomas Northrup, PhD, Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth and lead author on the study..

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https://thirdhandsmoke.org/a-new-study-finds-thirdhand-smoke-can-affect-gut-bacteria-in-infants/?utm_source=Thirdhand+Smoke+Resource+Center&utm_campaign=352778438f-THS+Monthly+Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_17b13f2219-352778438f-372860253