New data published in this week's edition of pediatrics finds that children aged 6 to 11 years old, who live with smokers, have a greater chance of missing school than kids who don't have smokers in their household.
Researchers found, on the average, children from a smoking home missed one to two more days of school per year than kids who lived with non-smokers.
The study found families could reduce absenteeism by 24 to 34 percent if smoking was eliminated from their homes.
In terms of health impacts -- living with smokers increased a child's risk of developing three or more ear infections within the year, and the likelihood of developing a chest cold.
