Mother slams parents who are putting face masks on their babies as she warns that their airways are smaller and they ‘risk suffocation’
- Mother sent stark plea to parents, warning against putting face masks on babies
- Vanessa Madrid, from California, shared pictures of babies with masks she saw
- Mother-of-two explained their smaller airways put them at ‘risk of suffocation’
A mother has sent a stark plea to parents, warning them not to put face masks on babies and young children.
Vanessa Madrid, from California, took to Facebook to share pictures of babies with masks she had come across online, and explained that their smaller airways put them at ‘risk of suffocation’ if their breathing is constricted.
The mother-of-two also warned that wearing one may result in them touching their faces more, causing an increased spread in germs.
Vanessa Madrid, from California, took to Facebook to share pictures of babies with masks she had come across online, and explained that their smaller airways put them at ‘risk of suffocation’ if their breathing is constricted
The mother-of-two also warned that wearing one may result in them touching their faces more, causing an increased spread in germs
Sharing her post to Facebook, she wrote: ‘Please do not and I repeat do not put a mask on your child or baby.
‘A baby’s airways are smaller, so breathing through a mask is even harder on them.
‘Using a mask on an infant may increase the risk of suffocation. Masks are harder to breathe through. A snug fit will give them less access to air, and a loose fit will not provide much protection.’
She added: ‘If they are having are hard time breathing, infants are unable to take the mask off themselves and could suffocate.
‘Older infants or young toddlers are not likely to keep the mask on and will likely try to remove it, as well as touch their face more, which passes germs from hands to face’.
Sharing her post to Facebook, she wrote: ‘Please do not and I repeat do not put a mask on your child or baby’
Mother-of-two Vanessa, seen, shared the warning with other parents across the globe
Her post, which included a picture of a mask attached to a dummy, quickly went viral, racking up 80,000 shares and comments.
One follower wrote: ‘Omg would never do this! Feel like it’s so obvious. People can be so stupid'(sic).
Another added: ‘Oh my god who would even think of doing this’.
Elsewhere one said: ‘How can you possibly think this is safe I worry for people that lack this much common sense and responsible for babies/children’.
Last month Japanese experts warned children under the age of two should not wear face masks as they make it difficult for them to breathe and increase their risk of heat stroke.
The Japan Paediatric Association has advised parents not to place masks on infants under two – despite Japan’s coronavirus guidelines urging every individual to wear a mask.
In a leaflet issued to the Japanese public the medical body warned that infants could experience an increased burden on their lungs due to the covering of their mouths, reports CNN.
They added that the masks also obstruct the child’s face, making it more difficult for parents to notice changes in expression or the colour to the face which could indicate breathing issues.
The leaflet reads: ‘It is possible that masks make it difficult for infants to breathe and increase the risks of heat stroke’.
Due to their narrower air passages the mask poses a risk of suffocation, especially if a young child vomits behind a mask, states the advice.
As children have a relatively low risk of contracting coronavirus the Japanese board found that they had no logical reason to face the risks posed by wearing the mask itself.
Her post, which included a picture of a mask attached to a dummy, quickly went viral, racking up 80,000 shares and comments
One follower wrote: ‘Omg would never do this! Feel like it’s so obvious. People can be so stupid’