Drug consumption during the first 18 months of life of infants from smoking and non-smoking families.

In a geographically well defined population in southern Sweden, a study was made of the overall consumption of drugs by infants during their first 18 months of life. The study population comprised 240 infants, of whom 90 were from families where tobacco was smoked by one or both parents and 150 were from non-smoking families. The investigation was carried out retrospectively by interviewing the mothers at the routine 18-month check up at the child health clinic, combined with study of the medical records at the district health centre, and at the paediatric and ear, nose and throat departments of the nearby hospital. In addition, the reliability of the interview method compared with review of medical records was investigated. Particular attention was paid to the consumption of antibiotics and the relationship between 'passive smoking' and consumption of antibiotics necessitated by respiratory tract infections. There was widespread use of both prescribed and non-prescription remedies. At the age of 18 months, about two thirds of all infants in the area had been prescribed an antibiotic (or other antibacterial agent) on at least one occasion. Infants from smoking families had been prescribed significantly more antibiotics than had infants from non-smoking families. The same pattern was also apparent for nose drops and dimethicone/dicyclomine hydrochloride. The incidence of respiratory tract infections requiring antibiotic treatment was higher in infants from smoking families than from non-smoking families in all the three-month age groups up to 15 months. The responses to the retrospective interview accorded closely with the details recorded in the medical records.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)