Wearing protective masks can be quite dangerous for young children, with such a warning made by Japanese doctors.
the Japanese paediatric Association said that children under two years of age should not wear masks because these defences can hinder baby’s breath and increase the risk of suffocation.
“Masks can make it difficult to breath because infants have narrow Airways”, – reads the statement of the Association. It also indicates that the mask in addition to increase young children’s risk of heat stroke.
“Let’s stop the use of masks for children under two years of age,” urges the Association on its web site.
In a statement, experts say that up to now there had been very few serious cases of coronavirus among children and most children have been infected by family members, while there was virtually no outbreaks in schools or kindergartens.
the call came amid a gradual recovery of Japan from coronavirus crisis. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lifted the state of emergency for Tokyo and the four remaining areas (in other regions it was cancelled earlier), after the number of infections has fallen across the country, but warned that it may be renewed if the coronavirus will again begin to spread.
In order to prevent the spread of infection experts in health all over the world recommend people to wear masks, especially in those cases when it is difficult to maintain social distancing.
the Japanese doctors are not alone in their calls to abandon the young children wearing masks.
similar recommendations made in the UK, where developed in the framework of the fight against COVID-19 rules state that “coverage for the face should not be used by children under two years or those who may be difficult to correctly handle them, for instance, younger children without assistance or persons with diseases of respiratory tract”.
the Centers for disease control (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics also says children under the age of two should not use a fabric covering for the face.
As explained by a certified pediatrician and a representative of the American Academy of Pediatrics Dr. Jennifer Shu, due to the fact that children under 2 years are unable to report if they have problems with breathing, “they may not have the motor skills or coordination to remove the protective mask”.
the same recommendations apply to older children or even adults who may not be able to remove the mask or who find it difficult to breathe. But, according to Dr. Shu, the older children with respiratory problems still can wear mAski for short periods of time, if the situation so requires.
Also, experts point to the danger that the youngest children can imagine elastic bands and ropes, by which the mask is attached to the head – they can cause suffocation.
