Newborn around smoking friend

[Overthebow]

A friend who smokes came round today, he didn’t smoke in the house but could strongly smell cigarettes on him and he probably had one before he came into the house. I let him hold my baby for a while, and didn’t really think about it until afterwards but now I’m worried my baby will have been affected by this and am worried about sids. Do you think it’s ok and if not is there anything I can do? Aibu to be worried about this?

Of course I would move my baby away from an area that smelt like engine oil or woodsmoke.
I don’t burn my food. It’s not comparable.
Smell means particles of whatever it is are getting up your nose to your smell receptors. They are not necessarily harmless.
I don’t understand how you don’t see that medical opinion is very much on my side?
Look, obviously this was a one off incident for OP. If he’s not a regular visitor and she doesn’t have other smokers in the family or among her friends then the risk of this one time thing is not worth her spending more time worrying about. But yeah, having a blanket policy on how to deal with smokers in your life you want to see your baby is just sensible. And more important for those who will be seeing your child more regularly.

There are things in you can control and things you can't. You can't avoid going outside.

You can control who holds you baby, and even it the health risks are absolutely negligible, having you baby smell of smoke is gross and something you can avoid.

Edit. Quoted the wrong poster. Sorry.

Current guidelines is to remove the top layer of clothing/change it if you are a smoker before holding a baby, as the residue on your clothes is harmful enough. Wearing lots of perfume to mask the smell just makes things worse and I don’t let people wearing strong perfume to hold my baby,

But these AREN’T the current guidelines. The nhs suggests that people don’t smoke inside or in the car.

@TomeTome are you a smoker?
I’ll still stick with no smoker is holding my baby unless they’ve washed hands and changed clothes, but even then I don’t think I would let them hold them.

No I don’t smoke, or drink for that matter but neither is really relevant. It’s a mistake to think anyone disagreeing with you on this subject is some sort of pro smoking maniac.

https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/smoking/

some smoking facts

As a neonatal nurse, on discharge home, we advise to remove coat if smoking outside but ideally change top/clothes and always wash hands.

@EmilyTjP I can’t see where that advice is in the link you provided. Who told you that this was what should be done and why isn’t it listed on the nhs website or on the lullaby trust you linked to? I’m really intrigued as to why it’s being presented as known advice but isn’t easily findable.

I think given the facts about third hand smoking already given on this thread it's just common sense, and almost a sense of decency to remove the top you have been wearing whilst smoking, and thoroughly wash your hands before handling a baby.

Baby's depend on the adults to protect them from danger whatever that might be. I'd say 4000 toxins in cigarettes are dangerous.

@Thedogscollar so why do you think that isn’t the guidance given by the nhs?

I have no idea. It is however common sense given the toxins that cling to the smoker after having a cigarette.
Other NHS staff have been on this thread stating exactly the same advice.

YABU. Could not get worked up about this.

Cigarettes stink, sure. But your baby will be fine. Nothing a bath won’t fix.

Yes but that’s individual opinion and seems to be based on a sort of Chinese whispers rather than fact. People keep posting links but on reading the advice is not what they are suggesting.

Why are you so hung up on this? https://healthforunder5s.co.uk/sections/baby/secondhand-smoke-just-the-facts/#:~:text=Make%20it%20a%20house%20rule,to%20three%20hours%20after%20smoking.

Most people wouldn’t like any strong smells around baby, it’s just common sense. I used to get annoyed with people wearing strong perfume and would make an excuse to take baby back. Smoke is even worse because of all the toxins.

maybe they don’t want to say it’s ok to smoke and hold a baby, so they just say ‘don’t smoke’ on the official guidance. Whereas if you know people are going to smoke anyway, common sense is to change clothes and wash hands.

It is not Chinese whispers it is fact. If a cigarette is smoked downstairs in a house the smoke will still travel upstairs into other rooms clinging to fabrics along the way.
The toxins cling to the clothes, skin and hair of the smoker the particulates are exhaled out in their breath. The baby who is being held close by the smoker will be breathing in these toxins much more rapidly than you or I would into their tiny lungs.
Over time this could lead to SIDS, bronchitis, pneumonia and asthma. The advice is correct change your top was your hands.

www.nhs.uk/live-well/quit-smoking/passive-jsmoking-protect-your-family-and-friends/

Some of you need to get a grip.
OP your baby is fine.

Shouldn't harm her but I wouldn't let that smoke get onto my baby just yuk

I mean the smell

I think if there was genuine risk then it would be firmly in the guidelines. Again that last link doesn’t work and certainly none of them have backed up the advice some of you are suggesting. It’s really important to be able to quantify risk and understand evidence based guidance as apposed to feelings or opinion. That’s doubly important when it surrounds our children.

I agree with whoever said that smokers just don’t get how unpleasant they smell. Maybe there’s a risk, maybe there isn’t, but I wouldn’t like to be held for an extended period of time (or any time, really) by someone who had been smoking, or who was wearing clothes with residual odour.

VeniVidiWeeWee · Yesterday 00:24
**
Do you take you baby out along roads with cars passing? I suspect particulate pollution is much worse for health”

Oh please. So throw in a smoker for good measure?

Wouldn’t let smokers near our babies, OP, and told them why.

Smoking is gross. Babies should not be exposed to smelly smoky clothes. If for no other reason than it freaking stinks.

Fwiw - I think you are het up about this and trying to drive a point home.

i will listen to the midwife in this instance.

You need to research passive smoking and the effects on others especially babies. There is a genuine risk.

If you personally would be happy to have your baby cuddled by someone who has just smoked a cigarette without changing their top and washing their hands then that is your decision to make.

Just because you cannot find this advice written somewhere in NHS guidelines doesn't make it any less valid.