Are Air Purifiers Good for Your Baby?

Although the level ofair pollution differs from one place to another, air contaminants like smoke, pollen, carbon dioxide, toxic fumes, and other particles are present almost everywhere. They can be already inside your home without you knowing it. If so, they can pose a severe hazard to your baby.

As parents, it’s understandable if you consider doing all measures to protect your babies against air pollution. Your unconditional love for your little bundle of joy tells you that they need clean air to be healthy. One way to ensure that they only breathe clean air is by using an air purifier.

What Are Air Purifiers?

An air purifier is a device that uses air cleaning technologies to remove air contaminants. They are ideal for indoor spaces such as homes and offices. Most air purifiers effectively get rid of indoor pollution caused by pets, mold, cooking, smoking, and cleaning chemicals.

Since babies’ lungs are not fully developed yet, they are prone to acquiring respiratory conditions. When kids are constantly exposed to indoor pollutants, they can develop allergies, asthma, lung damage, and a higher risk of lung cancer when they grow up. Removing impurities can reduce the risks to keep them healthy and happy.

The right air purifier can help protect them from inhaling pollutants. Using an air purifier can help ensure that your children only breathe what’s good for their bodies.

How Air Purifiers Work

Air purifiers work differently depending on what cleaning technology they use. The three main types of air purifiers are the following:

Filter. This type uses a single or layers of filters to effectively trap particles from the air. Filters with tiny spaces between them can remove allergens and pollutants of many kinds. An air purifier with filters only produces no by-product.

Electronic. Electronic air cleaners work by giving contaminants a static charge which causes them to stick to objects and leave the air. This mechanism is not entirely practical, and it emits ozone as a side effect.

Ozone-generating. As the name suggests, this type of air purifier purposely creates ozone to chemically clean the air. Ozone-generating devices are meant to clean the air but haven’t been scientifically proven effective as of now.

Out of the three types, air purifiers with filters are the most effective and safer for babies. A HEPA-rated filter is proven to eliminate micro-particles in the air without emitting chemicals. An air purifier with a true HEPA filter is the best type for your baby.

An electronic air cleaner doesn’t remove as many pollutants as you want. Meanwhile, the ozone type must never be used for babies since it creates a harmful by-product. Air purifiers that create ozone purposely or accidentally break down pollution but do not remove them completely. In addition, ozone is dangerous for kids and adults alike as it can damage the lung even in small quantities.

Advantage of Using Air Purifiers for Babies

A child’s immune system isn’t as strong as that of an adult. While their bodies are still developing, it’s essential to keep them protected against pollution.

An air purifier offers the following benefits:

Mitigates allergies or diseases

The chance that you or your pets can bring air pollution from outside into your own house is always there. With 60% of the air in most dense cities already contaminated, imagine what danger it can bring to your loved ones, especially to your baby.

When you get home, your skin, hair, and clothes can bring bacteria and other harmful elements. Using an air purifier can help eliminate these pollutants, leaving indoor air safe most of the time.

Helps maintain cleanliness

Cleaning your home is a difficult task. You need to mop, vacuum, and wipe different surfaces to get rid of dust, pet hairs, and other particles.

The filters in air purifiers are effective in attracting and trapping particles before they settle into the surface. This mechanism helps remove dust while they still linger in the air. The result – easier weekly cleaning task since there is not much dirt that settled in.

Fights bad odor

An air purifier also works great in fighting bad odor caused by smoke, food smell, pet urine, and other nasty sources. If you have a pet or smoker in your home, an air purifier is a must. You don’t have to constantly be bothered by that foul smell.

Fights mold

Molds are organisms that can cause allergies and respiratory conditions. They thrive in the dark and moist parts like the basement, kitchen, and bathroom. They can cause respiratory and skin problems. Air purifiers for babies are also effective in removing them from the air.