Here’s why doctors say that giving young children a face mask can have a detrimental advantage.
We all know that it is now recommended, even mandatory, to wear face masks in order to prevent the spread of corona virus. While this is true for adults, the same rules do not apply to young children, who are advised against wearing the face mask outside in public.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), parents should avoid wearing cotton face masks for children under two years of age, and the reason is not simply because young children seem to have a lower risk of Covid-19. . In contrast, the CDC’s recommendation stems from the fact that face masks can be extremely dangerous for children during this early stage.
“Masks are not recommended for children under two years of age due to the higher risk of suffocation,” said Eli Gasinu, a New York City pediatrician. “In general, young children will not be able to remove their face mask or face shield if they have breathing problems.”
Not only that, Leann Poston, a pediatrician at Invigor Medical, says face masks can also pose a choking risk, as young children may try to “chew on the rubber or lanyard.”
Even for a 4 or 5-year-old child, it is best to be cautious about whether or not a child should wear a face mask, pediatric emergency doctor Sylvia Owusu-Ansah. Why? Because it is more likely that a child will not “tolerate the face mask” or understand why it should be worn. This can “increase the desire to touch the face and induce self-infection”,
What other options are there to protect young children?
Instead, parents can limit time in public or use a blanket to cover a stroller or car seat when out and about.
However, if your child is old enough to wear a face mask, and you want them to become more comfortable with the concept, try buying or decorating them with their favorite cartoon characters or practicing at home. before going out. You can even create a game in public, like examining how long a face mask is wearing, or counting how many people wear a face mask on the street.
Instruct parents to properly wear a face mask for their baby
Children are vulnerable objects, easily infected if they are exposed to the virus. Therefore, parents need to protect children’s health from the simplest things, such as wearing a face mask when going out on the street, kindergarten or public places. Accordingly, wearing a face mask properly for your baby is recommended by doctors to proceed as follows:
- Wear a face mask to leave the blue face out, the white face inside because the blue side is water permeable, the white side is hygroscopic. Breathing effect.
- The face mask must cover the nose and mouth.
- When wearing the face mask , hold the strap, never touch the inside of the face mask.
- The respirator, once worn on, cannot be touched as it can pass infectious bacteria from the hands through the face masks into the respiratory tract causing infection.
- When removing the face mask, only hold on to the strap to remove it, never touch the outside of the face mask to prevent germs from passing on hands and then through inhalation.
- Dispose of face mask in trash can lid
- Wash hands right after throwing the face mask in the trash
Wearing a face mask properly not only helps your baby prevent many diseases that spread through the respiratory tract, but also helps children learn the habit of using a face mask when going out and in crowded places.
