Smoking Patterns and Perspectives of Families of Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure has been associated with significant health consequences in children. The objective of our study was to assess patterns of smoking, perspectives on smoking, and housing characteristics of families of infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in the outpatient setting. From 2012 to 2014, caregivers of subjects who were recruited from a BPD outpatient clinic completed self-reported questionnaires regarding exposure to tobacco smoke in the home, patterns of smoking, household rules regarding smoking, and residence type. Caregivers of 222 subjects with BPD completed the questionnaire. Of these, 42 (18.9%) reported that a smoker lived in the home. Households that contained smokers were more likely to have lower median household income, be covered by public insurance, and have less education. Among households that included smokers, 7% reported that smoking was allowed inside the home, while 93% reported that smoking occurred only outdoors. Caregivers of nonsmoking households and smoking households reported that 57.5% and 59.5%, respectively, lived in attached housing or multiunit buildings. Households with smokers who lived in multiunit housing and were familiar with their properties' smoking rules (n = 23) were more likely to live in properties where smoking was permitted (78%), compared to nonsmoking families who were familiar with their property's smoking rules (43%; n = 77; P = 0.012). Nonsmoking families who live in multiunit housing that allows smoking on the property may be inadvertently exposed to SHS. The majority of smoking families report smoking outdoors, which still may be a measurable exposure that can have detrimental health consequences on BPD infants, an already medically fragile population.