INDIANAPOLIS (KCEN-TV) — According to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, children under the age of two should not wear face masks as they may pose a suffocation risk.
The Putnam County Board of Commissioners released guidelines Wednesday detailing more information from the CDC about why young children should not be wearing face masks amid COVID-19 concerns. Those reasons are the following:
- 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.
- If they are having a 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 try to remove it, as well as touch their faces more.
- There are no N95 masks approved for young children.
They also added that those who have trouble breathing, who are unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove their mask without assistance should not wear face masks.
