The Economic Impact of Early Life Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure
Author Information
Author(s): Miller Thaddeus, Rauh Virginia A., Glied Sherry A., Hattis Dale, Rundle Andrew, Andrews Howard, Perera Frederica
Primary Institution: Columbia University
Hypothesis
Does early-life exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) lead to developmental delays in children?
Conclusion
The high annual cost of developmental delay due to prenatal exposure to ETS highlights the need for increased prevention efforts.
Supporting Evidence
- Prenatal ETS exposure was found to have an odds ratio of 2.36 for developmental delay.
- An estimated 35–80% of inner-city children are exposed to ETS.
- The estimated annual cost of Early Intervention Services due to ETS exposure is over $50 million for Medicaid births in NYC.
- Children exposed to both ETS and material hardship had a greater cognitive deficit.
- 32.3% of children in the cohort had developmental delay based on Bayley MDI scores.
Takeaway
Breathing in smoke from cigarettes when you're a baby can make it harder for you to learn and grow, and it costs a lot of money to help fix that.
Methodology
The study analyzed a cohort of minority women and children in New York City, measuring developmental delay and estimating costs of Early Intervention Services due to ETS exposure.
Potential Biases
The observational nature of the study may introduce confounding factors.
Limitations
The study may underestimate risks as it excluded women who actively smoked or had other health issues.
Participant Demographics
The cohort included African-American and Latina mothers and their children.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.005
Confidence Interval
1.22–4.58
Statistical Significance
p = 0.005
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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