Definition
Definition
Smoking around children significantly increases the risk of them developing leukemia.
Explanations.
Generalities
This is called the passive smoking : it has long been demonstrated thatBeing exposed to cigarette smoke causes serious illnesses, even among the non smokers. And including therefore among the children.
A study carried out by an American team and published in the journal Cancer Research has highlighted, in children who are victims of passive smoking, genetic mutations participating in the development and progression of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), which is the most common cancer in children.
This concerns children who have been exposed to parental smoking in utero (that is to say when the mother-to-be smokes during her pregnancy or when she is exposed to passive smoking) and during their childhood (when one or both parents smoke in the presence of the child).
The risk of developing acute lymphoblastic leukemia is obviously greatest if both parents are smokers..
The link between parental smoking and their child's development of acute lymphoblastic leukemia has long been established, but this study has determined theimpact of passive smoking on DNA.
Scientists took cells from the tumors of 560 children with ALL before they started treatment. They found that these children lost certain genes responsible for cell cycle control (i.e. the different stages of cell life: growth, duplication of genetic material – division), and also intervening in theimmunity. It's because of the genetic mutations caused by smoke inhalation that the cells of children with ALL multiply at high speed and invade the bone marrow without their immune system being able to oppose it.
Advances in cancer treatments now make it possible to cure the vast majority of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Corn (Mais) Making smokers aware of the risks incurred by those around them, and particularly by their children, would prevent a lot of suffering.
Read also:
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Source : Correlates of prenatal and early-life tobacco smoke exposure and frequency of common gene deletions in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia – Cancerres.aajournnals.org
Photo Credits:
Bad father is smoking and holding baby. A lot of smoke around. – vchalup – Fotolia.com
Pregnant woman with cigarette stinging at home – Africa Studio – Fotolia.com