Can Cigarette Smoke on Your Clothing Affect a Child's Breathing?

Lingers on Surfaces

• A child in the same room as an adult smoking a cigarette is passively inhaling the same toxic chemicals as the adult smoking a cigarette, according to the Canadian Lung Association. Thirdhand smoke describes the residue that sticks to a smoker's hair and clothes, as well as the walls, carpets, and room furnishings present in the room where someone smoked. A small child can inhale or ingest this residue on the surfaces, which puts small children at risk of developing respiratory problems.

Gets Into the Lungs

• Particulates, or the dusty residue that settles on the clothes of a smoker, make up thirdhand smoke, which can be inhaled into the lungs, according to WebMD. Nicotine and other toxins that stick to clothing and other surfaces can reenter the air supply, even if you clear all smoke from a room, according to a study published in Environmental Science and Technology. If you smoke a cigarette and then pick up a child or give him a hug, he is going to breathe in the particulates that have attached themselves to your clothes. Inhaling thirdhand smoke puts a child at an increased risk of developing respiratory problems such as asthma, because of the toxic nature of the chemicals in the residue. The length of time your child is exposed to thirdhand smoke increases the risk.

Babies at Greater Risk

• Infants and toddlers are at greater risk of developing breathing problems because of thirdhand smoke because their lungs are smaller and are still developing, warns the American Academy of Pediatrics. Babies and toddlers are getting constant exposure to smoke residue in an indoor environment in which someone was smoking. Babies are especially at risk because caregivers who smoke will have cigarette residue in their hair and clothing, and because babies̵7; faces are closer to sources of thirdhand smoke such as carpeting.

Increased Risk of SIDS

• Babies exposed to thirdhand smoke are at an increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, warns the AAP. Although researchers have not yet found a direct cause of SID, inhaling third-hand smoke on a caregiver's clothes or residue that becomes airborne may contribute to the cessation of breathing during an infant's sleep.