Pedia groups recommend

No face masks for infants

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, April 24, (PIA)—Although infants do not have fully developed immune systems that make them susceptible to coronavirus disease (COVID) and thus needs utmost care, putting on them face masks or face shields is dangerous and is often fatal.

Thus said the Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS) and Philippine Society of Newborn Medicine (PSNbM) in a joint statement dated April 22.

In the joint statement on the use of face shields for newborns during this Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome 2 Coronavirus Disease (SARS COV 2) pandemic, both agree that COVID-19 remains an invisible threat to people worldwide, regardless of age, that protection of the most vulnerable is among their utmost care.

But on the misinformed practice of putting face shields or home-made face masks by parents to their infants in their desire to protect their newly born babies from the deadly virus, the groups do not recommend and in fact prohibits the use of any form of facial protective covering of the newborn because of the high risk of suffocation it could bring.

Suffocation, leading to lack of oxygen delivery and carbon dioxide retention, when displaced, can cause strangulation and sudden infant death syndrome.

Physicians specializing in infant care said infants are respiratory-compromised: their airways are smaller that breathing through a face shield or mask is even harder on them.

Using a mask on a baby may increase the risk of suffocation and strangulation, the doctors averred.

Moreover, if infants find it hard for them to breath, they are unable to take the mask off themselves, they could end up suffocated.

For mothers nursing the infant, removing and putting on the face shield before and after breastfeeding can be cumbersome, that it could reduce the feeding frequency and this could result in the baby’s nutrition.

For proper infant care, the PPS and PSNbM suggest limiting infant exposure and unnecessary public contact, and if going out with the infant is essential, the baby carrier may be covered with a blanket, (but never the infant), this helps protect the baby, but never let the covered carrier out of sight.

For mothers, always keep your hands clean before breastfeeding, proper hand-washing or hand sanitizing should be done before feeding the baby.

Furthermore, they urged care givers or siblings must also wash hands before touching the baby.

They also suggest that mothers and care givers or yayas should wear a mask or face shield instead, and use a cloth sling when holding or breast feeding the baby.

On this, both groups said they would rather support the statements of the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics which stated that face coverings should not be placed in young children under age two, and on anyone who has trouble breathing, or anyone unconscious, or those incapacitated like those unable to remove the mask without assistance. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

INFANTS’ RELIEF. While parents can be too overprotective with their infants, some putting up face masks or face shields on them, pediatric experts say don’t. The practice can easily suffocate the baby or cause subbed infant death syndrome. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)