Rising hair nicotine levels among infants aged 15 months were linked to previous exposure to smoking as reported by parents, according to a study published in Pediatric Pulmonology.
Researchers studied 376 infants. They gathered information from parents about smoking exposure during pregnancy and in the home at three and 15 months of age.
The study shows that an increase in numbers of smokers and daily cigarettes smoked at home as well as smoking in pregnancy was associated with an increase in hair nicotine levels. Higher hair nicotine levels were associated with increased risk of wheeze and of asthma at 15 months of age, though the association with asthma was not significant.