When you’re expecting a child, you want everything to be perfect before you bring home the most precious of additions to your family. From just the right shade of color on the nursery wall to the quality of the very air your baby will breathe, nothing but the best is acceptable. The shade of paint on the wall is easy; the air quality in the baby’s room is a bit more complicated.
Maintaining the proper indoor humidity at a level that is optimum for baby’s health should be near the top of your list. But what do you really know about which product is the best humidifier for baby’s room? If you’re like most of us, it isn’t a topic with which you’re readily familiar.
What Exactly Are Humidifiers For Babies?
A humidifier does exactly what the name indicates: it humidifies the air, meaning it adds needed moisture to the air we breathe.
Humidifiers increase the amount of water vapor in the air, either by heating water in an enclosed reservoir or employing other methods to generate unheated mist. Humidifiers use water’s ability to evaporate into an airborne vapor to force a higher percentage of moisture into the air.
There are many different models and styles to choose from, but all basically work on the same premise. Liquid water is converted to water vapor and allowed to escape through a vent, thus increasing the percentage of water vapor (humidity) in the air.
Why Do We Need The Best Humidifier For Baby?
Increasing the indoor humidity level and maintaining it at a healthy level can help reduce the severity of upper respiratory and lower respiratory tract cold symptoms.
It can lessen the duration of cold symptoms and alleviate the discomfort of dry skin and itchy eyes. Cold, dry air is a favorable breeding ground for viruses of all types, so running a humidifier in the baby’s room may help prevent your young one from getting sick in the first place.
Under ideal conditions, indoor humidity should be maintained in the range of 30% to 50%. Heating your living space in the winter, whether it is a home or an apartment, can deplete the air’s humidity level inside to as low as 10%.
In such an environment, it is not unusual for anyone, but especially small children, to experience a buildup of normal secretions in the nasal cavities and respiratory passageways. A humidifier combined with Lavender essential oils can help alleviate this discomfort by loosening these secretions, helping children as well as adults to rid themselves of nasal and chest secretions through effective coughing.
Adults are more effective at clearing their breathing passageways because of their increased size and years of practice removing bothersome secretions. Babies don’t have the advantage of size or any experience on which to rely. Where parents can get flu shots and rely on over-the-counter cough and cold products, a baby has no such remedies available. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration recommends cough and cold products not be given to children under the age of two. The FDA also strenuously recommends that babies under six months of age not receive flu vaccines.
A humidifier in the baby’s room, and others placed throughout the home, can afford some relief to the child suffering cold symptoms and congestion. Every mother knows the benefits of a bulb suction and saline drops or fine saline mist spray.
A humidifier can be used in conjunction with these time-tested treatments to help the baby breathe easier, even when sick. The humidified air can help decrease nasal stuffiness, keeping the nasal passages more comfortable and the airways of the chest moist and less irritated.
Conclusion
We all want the very best for our children. If we can prevent them from suffering some of the common ailments of childhood, such as the common cold or stuffy noses and chest congestion, we’ll gladly pay whatever price is necessary. Something as simple as a humidifier may be all that’s needed to make the difference in how well your child navigates the many trials and tribulations of growing up. There are choices for parents when it comes to what is best for your baby’s health needs. Whether you want a humidifier that is small and portable, or one that is a larger console model that rarely moves from its designated spot, there are options that you should consider when preparing your baby’s room.
