Can newborns use humidifiers?

In our lives, many families use air humidifiers, especially in the autumn and winter seasons when the weather is particularly dry. At this time, there may be more dust in the house. Using some air humidifiers can make the environment more moist, but air humidifiers cannot be used frequently, otherwise people may suffer from some atomization system diseases. So can newborns use humidifiers?

Is it OK to use a humidifier for babies?

The thickness of a baby's skin is only one-tenth of that of an adult's. It is extremely delicate and easily loses moisture. When the weather is dry, the skin is prone to peeling and cracking. In severe cases, chapped skin may occur, causing pain. Therefore, adding a humidifier in the room is beneficial to protecting the baby's skin. By inhaling a large amount of moisture oscillating in the air by the humidifier, it helps to keep the respiratory tract moist.

However, if the humidifier is used incorrectly, it will not only fail to purify the air, but will increase the likelihood of infants and young children suffering from respiratory diseases. There is a case that shows that after using a humidifier at home, the baby started snoring while sleeping and coughing frequently. The diagnosis showed that the baby suffered from mild asthma due to "excessive indoor air humidity."

Things to note when using a humidifier for your baby:

1. Clean regularly

If a humidifier is used improperly, it may cause "humidifier pneumonia". This is because if the humidifier is not cleaned regularly during use, the mold and other microorganisms in the humidifier will enter the air with the aerosol and then enter the human respiratory tract, making it easy to suffer from "humidifier pneumonia."

2. Keep the humidity at 40%-60%

The higher the air humidity is, the better it is. In winter, the human body feels more comfortable at a humidity of about 50%. If the air humidity is too high, people will feel chest tightness and difficulty breathing. Therefore, humidification can be set at around 40%-60%. The human body will feel good at this time. If the air humidity is 55%, it is more difficult for germs to spread.

Once the air humidity is lower than 20%, the amount of inhalable particles indoors increases, making it easy for people to catch a cold. If the air humidity is too high, such as exceeding 90%, it will cause discomfort to the respiratory system and mucous membranes, reduce immunity, and induce children to suffer from influenza, asthma, bronchitis and other diseases.

3. Add purified water

The humidifier should be kept away from the baby, and the water used in the humidifier must be purified water, as tap water contains chlorine.

4. Not suitable for long-term use

Using a humidifier for a long time is not good for human health, so humidification must be moderate. For families who use humidifiers for a long time, it is best to use a hygrometer to keep the indoor humidity within a certain range. At the same time, the water in the humidifier should be changed every day, and the humidifier should be cleaned and disinfected.