Are Air Purifiers Safe for Babies?
For every parent, the health and safety of their babies are their top priorities in life. Wrapping their babies in a security net, no matter how costly, is well worth it knowing that their baby is safe; this information is well established because they've checked the latest gadget that they bought from Babies R Safe and the last update 5 minutes ago read: "Normal Range."
So when you come across an overzealous parent who owns the latest air purifier in the market that retails for more than what you would spend on your monthly car payment, is it worth it? The answer may surprise you.
Should I Use an Air Purifier in My Baby's Room?
Studies have shown that the air inside the home often contains higher concentrations of hazardous chemicals than air outside. High concentrations of chemicals within the home originate from cleaning products, smokers in the home, pets that shed fur and dander, and airborne chemicals, such as VOCs (volatile organic compound) and off-gassing from furniture and appliances.
Children breathe in 50 percent more air per pound of body weight than adults do. That is why minimizing chemicals and toxins in your home is so important. With clean indoor air, common symptoms caused by indoor pollutants, such as itchy eyes, headaches, sore throat and dizziness can decrease.
Of course, many steps can be taken to prevent indoor air pollution and decrease the need for an air purifier in the baby's room.
- Stop smoking! There’s a baby in the house!
- Getting rid of carpeting that can trap dust, mold, and pretty much everything else you picked up from your hike around the block to the local farmer’s market.
- Use “natural” products instead of harmful chemicals to clean your home. Lemon juice and baking soda anyone?
- Plants not only make lovely accents to a lonely table, but many clean the air of toxins and provide oxygen. How about a Chrysanthemum? They’re fun to say and come in a variety of colors.
When Air Purifiers Can be Dangerous
Some air purifiers, such as ozone generators, release ozone as a by-product, so after doing your research, if you find that an air purifier releases ozone, keep your feet moving. Ozone is a known respiratory irritant, and although it is safe when it is up in the sky protecting us from harmful UV Rays, down here, it can cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath, and throat irritation. Ozone can also worsen chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and compromise the ability of the body to fight respiratory infections. With Rabbit Air, you’ll never need to worry because our air purifiers do not generate any ozone*.
A Safe Air Purifier Solution for Babies
Having an air purifier in the home, especially one with a true HEPA filter and Charcoal Based Activated Carbon filter, like our Rabbit Air purifier, will filter and trap airborne particles and chemicals that can easily be inhaled by infants. Since babies lungs are still developing, it is important to keep the air as clean as possible. But clean doesn’t have to mean loud. Our air purifiers are also extremely quiet, so they can run all night long without disturbing your baby's sleep.
If your baby is especially sensitive or has allergies or asthma, providing them with an air purifier would bring not only sighs of relief, but a happier baby.
*Zero ozone emission with negative ion generator turns off. An amount of 0.002 ppm (parts-per-million) was recorded at low fan speed with negative ionizer turned on. That is 25 times less than the 0.05 ppm maximum ozone concentration safety standard set forth by the California Air Resource Board.
Sources:
http://www.charlotteparent.com/articlemain.php?Do-You-Need-a-Purifier-in-the-Nursery-2398
http://www.airpurifiers.com/articles/air-purifier-for-baby-room.asp
http://www.greenandhealthy.info/toxinozone.html
http://www.mnn.com/health/healthy-spaces/stories/best-air-filtering-houseplants-according-to-nasa