NRS 434 Environmental Factors and Health Promotion Presentation: Accident Prevention and Safety Promotion for Parents and Caregivers of Infants

NRS 434 Environmental Factors and Health Promotion Presentation: Accident Prevention and Safety Promotion for Parents and Caregivers of Infants

Infant health comprise of the vulnerable populations in our societies. They are vulnerable in that their immune systems have not developed to protect itself from infections and disease causing environmental exposures. As a result, the promotion of the optimum health of the infants is critical in nursing and healthcare. Nurses are anticipated to utilize evidence-based interventions to minimize the exposure of the infants to environmental hazards that could affect their health and growth. Environmental hazards such as tobacco smoke, air pollution, and chemicals have adverse health effects on infant’s growth. Therefore, this presentation explores the effects and prevention of infant exposure to tobacco smoke and its products.

The selected environmental factor that affects the health and development of infants is tobacco smoke exposure. Exposure of infants to tobacco smoke is a critical public health concern. The exposure is indirect, as it arises from first hand smoking. The exposure of the infants to tobacco smoke can occur in utero or after birth. Irrespective of the exposure period, its effects on the health and development of the infants are significant. Public health interventions have been adopted to ensure the prevention and reduction in the rates of infant exposure to tobacco smoke. For example, health education has been used as a critical tool for creating awareness and stimulate positive behavioral change among the populations at risk of the problem (CDC, 2019).

The exposure of infants to tobacco smoke either in utero or after birth have adverse effects. One of the effects due to in utero exposure to tobacco smoke is intrauterine growth restriction. Severe exposure of the developing fetus impairs its normal development leading to intrauterine growth restriction. The intrauterine exposure to smoke also impairs the supply of vital nutrients to organs such as brain and lungs, affecting their normal development. The risk of pregnancy complications also rises with tobacco smoking. Often tobacco smoking in pregnancy is associated with risks to the fetus such as miscarriage, preterm births, low birth weight babies, and sudden infant death syndrome. The complications arise from placental insufficiency. The exposure of the infants to smoke after birth increases their risk of developing upper respiratory tract infections and allergies due to their reaction to chemicals contained in the tobacco products (CDC, 2019, 2020).

Infant exposure to tobacco smoke also increases their risk of developing heart disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that infants and children exposed to tobacco products are increasingly vulnerable to cardiovascular problems. The cardiovascular problems worsen with age, leading to more than 34000 premature deaths in the state. Infant exposure to tobacco smoke also predisposes them to asthmatic attacks. The asthmatic attacks are largely attributed to the irritation of the respiratory systems by the tobacco smoke and chemicals. The results include the inflammation of the airways and development of symptoms of asthmatic attack. Since infant have weak immunity, their predisposition to other infections such as ear infections is high. The above complications also contribute to a high rate of premature mortality among infants exposed to tobacco smoke (Pugmire et al., 2017).

The proposed health promotion plan focuses on the prevention of infant exposure to tobacco smoke. The target audience is the healthcare providers. The aims of health promotion plain are varied. One of them is to raise the level of awareness of the healthcare providers on the effects of infant exposure to tobacco smoke. The second aim is to increase the awareness of the healthcare providers on the roles they play in the reduction and prevention of infant exposure to tobacco smoke. The third objective is to help the healthcare providers to identity the evidence-based interventions they can adopt to prevent infant exposure to tobacco smoke and its effects.

Infant exposure is a critical public health concern. The exposure of infants to tobacco has negative effects due to the harmful chemicals contained in the tobacco products. It is estimated that tobacco smoke and its products has more than 7000 chemicals. Of this chemicals, 70 of them have the high potential of causing cancer to its users and second hand smokers. The effects of the chemicals are also severe in infants due to their prem