ABSTRACT
Cigarette smoke increases risk of adult cancer. However, the association between parental smoking and cancer in childhood is unclear. Therefore, the present study was designed to determine the relationship between parental smoking and childhood cancer. A case-control study was conducted comparing 98 childhood cancer cases with 100 matched controls on age and sex. Data were gathered through face to face interviews using a questionnaire, in 2007-2008. All statistics were computed by the SPSS software [version 14] using chi-square, independent f-test and odds ratios. It was revealed that maternal smoking [before, during and after pregnancy] was not associated with an increased risk of cancer childhood. Although, maternal exposure to passive smoke during pregnancy was associated with cancer childhood [odds ration=3.6, 95% confidence interval: 0.4-5.0]. Postnatal smoking of fathers was not associated with risk of cancer but fathers smoked more than 11 cigarettes during pregnancy, increased the risk of cancer [odds ratio=2.7; 95% CI, 0.3-4.4]. The study indicated that paternal smoking increases the risk of childhood cancer. Therefore, nurses can help to have healthy children by educating parents to quiet smoking or smoke outside children's rooms and their environment