Use of face masks or face shields on children under 2 is dangerous
Published Apr 27, 2020 12:00 am
By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz
While parents turn to the usage of face shields to protect babies from the coronavirus, a group of Filipino pediatricians warned that face shields and homemade masks could pose suffocation risk on the newborns.
A newborn baby, seen wearing a face shield as a protective measure amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, is seen at a maternity facility in Jakarta on April 21, 2020. (Photo by ADEK BERRY / AFP / MANILA BULLETIN)
The Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS) and the Philippine Society of Newborn Medicine (PSNbM) said the baby's airways are smaller than that of adults thus making breathing through a covering even harder on them.
"If they have a hard time breathing, newborns are unable to take the mask off themselves and could suffocate," the doctors said.
The face shield or homemade mask may also cause strangulation and sudden infant death syndrome when displaced, they pointed out.
The groups also noted that removing and putting on the face shield before and after breastfeeding or cup feeding can be inconvenient for the mother.
The PPS and PSNbM supported the call of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics that "face coverings should not be placed on young children under age two, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance."
They cited that the World Health Organization guideline also did not mention the use of face shields for newborns during this critical period.
Mothers or caregivers should instead wear a face mask with or without a face shield or use a cloth sling when holding and/or breastfeeding the newborn, the groups recommended.
Instead of making use of face shields for the babies, they said parents should limit the exposure of a newborn to any unnecessary public contact.
If going out is essential, cover the baby carrier with a blanket, which helps protect the baby, but still gives them the ability to breathe comfortably.
Do not leave the blanket on the carrier in the car or at any time the newborn and carrier are not in direct view, they added.
Breastfeeding mothers should keep hands clean. "Frequent handwashing with soap and water for 20 seconds is optimal, but hand sanitizer, with at least 60 percent alcohol is the next best substitute," they said.
A newborn baby, seen wearing a face shield as a protective measure amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, is seen at a maternity facility in Jakarta on April 21, 2020. (Photo by ADEK BERRY / AFP / MANILA BULLETIN)
The Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS) and the Philippine Society of Newborn Medicine (PSNbM) said the baby's airways are smaller than that of adults thus making breathing through a covering even harder on them.
"If they have a hard time breathing, newborns are unable to take the mask off themselves and could suffocate," the doctors said.
The face shield or homemade mask may also cause strangulation and sudden infant death syndrome when displaced, they pointed out.
The groups also noted that removing and putting on the face shield before and after breastfeeding or cup feeding can be inconvenient for the mother.
The PPS and PSNbM supported the call of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics that "face coverings should not be placed on young children under age two, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance."
They cited that the World Health Organization guideline also did not mention the use of face shields for newborns during this critical period.
Mothers or caregivers should instead wear a face mask with or without a face shield or use a cloth sling when holding and/or breastfeeding the newborn, the groups recommended.
Instead of making use of face shields for the babies, they said parents should limit the exposure of a newborn to any unnecessary public contact.
If going out is essential, cover the baby carrier with a blanket, which helps protect the baby, but still gives them the ability to breathe comfortably.
Do not leave the blanket on the carrier in the car or at any time the newborn and carrier are not in direct view, they added.
Breastfeeding mothers should keep hands clean. "Frequent handwashing with soap and water for 20 seconds is optimal, but hand sanitizer, with at least 60 percent alcohol is the next best substitute," they said.