Much has been written about the dangers secondhand smoke – the cigarette smoke inhaled by people who aren't smoking – but very little is known about the dangers of third-hand smoke, especially the affects on babies and toddlers.

A recent study by doctors from Mass General Hospital for Children in Boston focused on the risks of third-hand smoke to small children and babies. Their findings were alarming.

"Third-hand smoke is a term coined to describe the toxic brew of residue left on long after the cigarette has been extinguished," says Dr. Jonathon P. Winickoff, the lead author of the study and an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. "When you smell cigarettes in a room or on a smoker's clothing, your nose isn't lying to you. It's still there."

Annie Melton, a mom from Medford, Ore., has learned to trust her nose. "My oldest is 22, and everyone back then, including me, smoked," says Melton. "She was also always at the doctor for chest colds, upper respiratory infections and had a mean case of bronchitis when she was about 3 that nearly landed her in the hospital. Since then, we've learned so much about cigarette smoking, the link to SIDS, nicotine residue, etc."

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