The article I found to summarize was an article I found from US news. The article was about
the link between fathers exposed to second hand smoke as a child and the possibility of their kids
being more prone to having asthma. We already know that adults who smoke around their kids
are more likely to have asthmatic children but the article stated that even if the child’s parents
did not smoke but had grandparents that did it was possible for their grandkids to have asthma.
According to the article the risk of non-allergic asthma increases by 59% if their father was
exposed to second hand smoke in their adolescence compared to those who were not exposed to
second hand smoke. The risk grows higher at 72% if the child’s father was exposed to second
hand smoke and continued to smoke themselves. The article included a study which consisted of
nearly 1,700 children their fathers and their grandparents. The researchers compared data on
whether the children developed asthma by the age of 7 with data on if the fathers had grown up
with parents that smoked when they were younger than 15. Included in this study was also if the
fathers themselves smoked as well. The article stated that researchers were not certain on how
regular smoking is associated with a risk for developing asthma during childhood adolescence.
this damage could be passed down from generations but that they are speculating it may have
something to do with epigenetic changes. Epigenetics is the study of how cells control gene
activity without changing the DNA sequence. The article states that “this is when factors in our
environment such as tobacco smoke interact with our genes to modify their expression” changes
like these may be inherited but may be partially reversable for each generation. The article
concluded that it is possible that tobacco smoke is creating epigenetic changes in the cells that go
on to produce sperm when boys grow up and can then be passed to their kids. In turn the
scientific review article I found did back up the study that most parents that have been smoking
around their kids are more likely to have non allergy related asthma. The scientific article
concluded stating My opinion on if popular media articles are scientifically relevant or not is at
a medium. While some popular media articles in the past have spread false information on
scientific related topics others are found to be pretty accurate. I would say to always fact check
yourself when reading articles in non-scientific journals and magazines. Always make sure to
look at their sources and citations, its always best to find things out yourself as information in the
media can be falsified or even over exaggerated.
Kelsy Smith
Professor Rinehart-Kim
BIOL 294
17 October 2022
Citations
Murez C, Men Exposed to Cigarette Smoke in Childhood More Likely to Have Asthmatic Kids.
U.S. News
Gilliland, F. et al. Regular Smoking and Asthma Incidence in Adolescents. Pub Med Central
174, 1094-1100 (2006).