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Childhood Oxygenation Research

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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 …show more content…

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

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