Babies born to smoking parents risk leukemia- Expert warns

On Oct 9, 2024

Medical experts have warned that babies born to parents who smoke heavily or more than 20 sticks of cigarettes per day are at risk of childhood leukaemia.

They highlighted the potential impact of paternal smoking on offspring health, suggesting that exposure to harmful chemicals in tobacco could affect not only the smoker but also future generations.

The physicians said that the carcinogens present in cigarette smoke could lead to genetic mutations and epigenetic changes that might predispose children to various health concerns, including leukaemia.

This, they warned, underscored the importance of smoking cessation, particularly for men planning to become fathers, saying that reducing tobacco use not only enhances the father’s health but also contributes to a healthier pregnancy and better outcomes for the child.

The physicians, who spoke with newsmen in different interviews, were reacting to the study that preconception paternal smoking increases the risk of childhood leukaemia in their unborn children.

The study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, titled “Parental Smoking and the Risk of Childhood Leukaemia” by Jeffery Chang et al linked paternal smoking to both adult and childhood leukaemia.

The study examined parental smoking and the risk of childhood leukaemia in the Northern California Childhood Leukaemia Study, a case-control study, between 1995 and 2002.

The analysis included 327 acute childhood leukaemia cases (281 acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and 46 acute myeloid leukemia) and 416 controls matched on age, sex, maternal race, and Hispanic ethnicity.

The study concluded that while maternal smoking was not associated with an increased risk of either acute lymphoblastic leukaemia or acute myeloid leukaemia, paternal preconception smoking was significantly associated with an increased risk of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Speaking, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Dr Isaiah Abali said that exposure to paternal preconception smoking alone or in combination with postnatal passive smoking might be important in the risk of childhood leukaemia.

He emphasised the significant impact of parental smoking on pregnancy outcomes, stating that some research has shown that harmful chemicals in cigarettes can adversely affect a baby’s health.

While urging prospective fathers to reconsider their smoking habits, Abali, stated, “The findings strongly suggest that exposure to paternal preconception smoking, alongside postnatal passive smoking, may significantly increase the risk of childhood bone cancers, and leukaemia of the bone marrow.”

He stressed that addressing this issue is essential for promoting the long-term health of children and reducing the incidence of childhood cancers linked to parental behaviours.

The findings, he noted, underscored the need for greater public awareness about the risks associated with paternal smoking, advocating for the establishment of support systems and resources for smoking cessation to encourage prospective fathers to quit for the sake of their future children’s health.

He added that while awareness of the harmful effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy is growing, there is a pressing need for more information about the risks associated with paternal preconception tobacco smoking.

“Parents should be educated about the adverse effects of both maternal and paternal smoking on foetal health, as well as the benefits of cessation.

The research underscores the significant health risks posed by exposure to cigarette smoke, highlighting that paternal smoking not only affects the smoker but also places children at a higher risk for developing leukaemia, he added.

On the other hand, a Professor of Medicine at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Gregory Erhabor, who said that parental smoking had been linked to asthma, certain cancers, and other respiratory issues, noted that the relationship between childhood leukaemia needs further research.

As a former President of the Nigerian Thoracic Society, he acknowledged that he has not yet researched the specific relationship between paternal smoking and childhood leukaemia, noting that such studies are still relatively new.

“I have not come across studies on this topic, but I will investigate further to determine the connection,” he said.

PUNCH/Wumi