Prenatal Smoke Exposure and Childhood Asthma Development
Oxygenation is one of the most vital functions of the body. It is the transport of oxygen-rich blood through the circulatory system to the cells and tissues and is dependent on a healthy and properly functioning respiratory system (Trakalo, 2015). Oxygenation begins when air from the atmosphere is inhaled into the lungs. Oxygen from the in the lungs is then transported into the alveoli and moved into the capillaries where it attaches to hemoglobin (Trakalo, 2015). Once attached to hemoglobin inside the red blood cells, the oxygen is then transported to the peripheral tissues and organs of the body through the circulatory system (Trakalo, 2015). The process of oxygenation is influenced
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It is most prevalent among children up to age 20 and incidence decreases with age ("Most recent asthma data," n.d.). Per the World Health Organization (n.d.), asthma is a global public health concern and morbidity does not differ between developed and non-developed countries. It is reported that there is currently an estimated 100-150 million people around the world with asthma ("Bronchial asthma," n.d.). Asthma has proved to have one of the largest financial impacts on society. The annual cost of asthma in the US is estimated to be more than $56 billion ("Cost of asthma," n.d.). The expenses range from health care costs and medications to adults missing work because of an exacerbation. Asthma is one of the most common causes of emergency room visits each year and one of the biggest causes of pediatric hospital admissions ("Bronchial asthma," n.d.). Living with asthma can physically, psychologically, and socially impact an individual. Patients living with asthma often have multiple medications and interventions to control their asthma. Asthma can directly affect daily living by influencing sleep, activity tolerance, and perception of health (Trakalo, 2015). In addition, asthma has been shown to directly correlate with poverty, education level, allergens, and air quality ("Most recent asthma data," n.d.). The most recent asthma data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d.), report …show more content…
When oxygenation is altered, such as in asthma, the body’s tissues and organs are at risk for not receiving adequate oxygen. In asthma, the airways are in a constant state of inflammation and triggers cause further inflammation that leads to airway swelling and narrowing (Trakalo, 2015). Hypoxemia can result from an acute asthma attack when adequate oxygen is not delivered to the blood (Trakalo, 2015). Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics on tobacco use and pregnancy (n.d.), 10% of pregnant women say they smoked in the last 3 months of pregnancy. Smoking during pregnancy not only puts the mom at risk for complications but can also increase the child’s risk of developing certain diseases later in life ("Tobacco use and pregnancy," n.d.). To decrease the incidence of childhood asthma, it is critical to study the relationship between maternal smoking during pregnancy and the child’s development of asthma later in life. Some research has concluded that in utero and prenatal secondhand smoke exposure is directly associated with an increased risk of a child developing asthma later in life up to adolescence (Thacher et al., 2014). It is essential to further study within the population of pregnant mothers (P), does a mother who smokes during pregnancy versus a mother who does not smoke during pregnancy put a child at greater risk for
Throughout the years knowledge about asthma has grown, as well as treating it effectively. Over 300 million people are said to be victims of this disease with another 100 million being estimated by 2025 globally (Currie and Baker, 2012). In the United Kingdom, asthma is increasingly becoming one of the leading disease affecting individual of different age, ethnicity, race and gender. British Lung Foundation (2011) stated that it is more common at childhood stage and can also occur at a later age. According to Asthma UK (2014) asthma in men is less prevalence than it is in women and children troubled more with asthma than adults. Recent data in the UK shows that in children and occupational asthma in adult is on the rise with an estimate
The circulatory system and the respiratory system work closely together to ensure that organ tissues and systems receive enough oxygen. Oxygen is required for cellular functions such as cell respiration. This is so the body’s organs and cells can work at fully; it is done by releasing chemical energy with in stored foods. The air breathed in and held in the lungs is transferred to the blood. The blood is circulated by the heart, which pumps the oxygenated blood from the lungs to the body organs and returns with deoxygenated blood.
After all of that the oxygen enters our bloodstream by diffusing through the membranes of the lungs and then into the blood vessels. This is then passed onto another system which is The Circulatory System; this system then transports the oxygen to all of the cells in the body and picks up any waste products on the way.
The respiratory system is a complex organ structure of the human body anatomy, and the primary purpose of this system is to supply the blood with oxygen in order for the blood vessels to carry the precious gaseous element to all parts of the body to accomplish cell respiration. The respiratory system completes this important function of breathing throughout inspiration. In the breathing process inhaling oxygen is essential for cells to metabolize nutrients and carry out some other tasks, but it must occur simultaneously with exhaling when the carbon dioxide is excreted, this exchange of gases is the respiratory system's means of getting oxygen to the blood (McGowan, Jefferies & Turley, 2004).
Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children (Kahn and Boskey). Childhood asthma is when the lungs and airways become inflamed when something comes in contact to trigger it. There are different objects or activities to trigger a child’s asthma and if not treated appropriately it can cause an asthma attack. This disease can outbreak from a cold or any respiratory infection. Daily symptoms can interfere with a child’s asthma like a cold, sports, school, or play ("Childhood Asthma."). In the United States, it is estimated that approximately 5 million children under the age of 18 have this disease. In 1993 alone, asthma was the reason for almost 200,000 hospital stays and about 340 deaths under the age of 25 (Kahn and Boskey). Normally children will outgrow this disease by the time they
As of 2009, studies conducted by the CDC have shown that asthma impacts approximately one in every twelve people, and the numbers only continue to grow (CDC, 2011). Some of the most common symptoms can range anywhere from coughing (especially at night or during exercise), wheezing and chest tightness, to shortness of breath. Asthma is often a chronic condition and while many times it can present itself as being mild, it can also sometimes lead to death if a person suffers an asthma attack. Asthma can be genetic, but it can also be caused, as well as exacerbated by, environmental factors such as air pollution. Studies have shown that children living in the Bronx are experiencing asthma at levels eight times higher than the national average. In addition, rates of death from asthma are a whopping three times higher than the national average, and hospitalization rates at about five times higher.” (Ruppell, 2000). Asthma is not a disease that targets only one group of people, yet the Bronx still exhibits disproportionately high levels of asthma especially in neighborhoods that are poorer areas of the city. In fact, people from these poor areas are 21 times more likely to be hospitalized due to asthmatic conditions compared to people from more affluent parts of the city (Ruppell,
Asthma is prevalent in all countries regardless of level of the development. According to the World Health Organization 235 million people worldwide have asthma. It is however estimated that 80% of asthma deaths occur in low income countries (World Health Organization, 2015). Within the United States there are many climates and environmental triggers that can cause an exacerbation is asthma symptoms. According to the NHLBI hospitalization is three times higher among African Americans than white, and Puerto Ricans have the highest rate of asthma attacks and deaths related to asthma. Severe asthma is more common among women, children, low income inner city residents, Puerto Ricans, and African American. This disparity within the
Asthma is a chronic condition affecting the respiratory system and has a considerable impact on both individuals and a population. Everybody is susceptible to asthma, some more than others, depending of a variety of factors including, age, sex, geographical location and income. Asthma is particularly prevalent in younger children and the elderly and while it can be fatal, most people have mild cases of asthma that are relatively easy to treat. The condition mainly impacts an individual’s physical ability to contribute to a community.
About 10% of American children have asthma (Thakur et al., 2013). It is vital to understand what determinants cause childhood asthma to understand even with a low percentage, why it is still present. According to Williams et al., asthma is a health outcome which is a major impact on American youth (Williams et al., 2009). This health outcome not only impacts them throughout the years of being a child, but it has the potential of creating more serious health problems in the future. And without knowing what the causes are, it increases the rate asthma among children and prevents treatments from being implemented. It needs to be addressed by using results from prior studies in order to show how much of a problem childhood asthma is but also in finding and understanding the other underlying
Pregnancy is a joyful time for most families because that means the mother is bringing a new member into the world who will be welcomed into the family. A mother holding her newborn healthy baby in her arms for the first time makes her feel a sense of pride. This is because she has followed all of her doctor’s instructions and listened to his advice on how to keep herself healthy, and how to deliver a healthy baby after her nine months are up. But what if the new mom to be did not listen to the doctor’s advice? What if she decided to smoke during her pregnancy because she assumed it would not hurt the baby? What health problems or birth defects would the baby be challenged with when it was born? Women who smoke during their pregnancies on
I started out by going through articles on google scholar and found the one that made me most interested. I have known people that have smoked during pregnancy and what happened to their child so I wanted to see if children could potentially have asthma from their mom smoking.
During pregnancy, often you hear how harmful smoking is to the development of your baby. Premature birth, low birth weight, and disorders in their respiratory system are just some of the negative effects. Once your child is born and the process of breastfeeding starts, this article will help you immensely with its recommendations and advice.
Asthma is best described as a chronic inflammation the pulmonary lower airways because of hyperresponsiveness of lower airway obstructions that is usually reversible (Fireman, 2003). Asthma is triggered by cold air, exercise, viral upper respiratory infections, cigarette smoking, and respiratory allergens. One in 12 people in the United States has been diagnosed with asthma which is approximately 25 million people which accounts for 8% of the total population (AAAAI, 2016). It is estimated that the average cost for care of asthma in the United States is about $3,300.00 yearly in related medical expenses, missed school, missed worked days and early death (AAAAI, 2016). The purpose of this paper is to describe the long-term treatment
Within the alveoli, the oxygen is transferred to the blood whilst simultaneously collecting waste carbon dioxide for excretion as we breath out. This transference is known as diffusion and is linked to the cardiovascular system.
Experts have yet to understand why the rates of asthma are rising by an average of 50% every decade worldwide. According to the Asthma Society of Canada (2016), asthma is now considered to be a major health concern with approximately 235 million suffering from this illness worldwide. Kuhn et al (2015) states that as at 2012, one out of 12 people in the United States had asthma and the number continues to rise. More people have been diagnosed with this disease and in 2007; over 3000 deaths were linked to Asthma. Furthermore, the costs of treating asthma continue to rise with about 56 billion dollars being spent in 2007 compared to $53 billion in 2002 (CDC, 2011). From data gathered in California, which is our area of study, it was estimated that 2.3 million