Rules for wearing masks for children, when is it needed?

As a parent, of course you want to provide the best for your children, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the efforts to prevent the transmission of the virus that attacks the respiratory tract is to wear a mask when outside. So, what about the rules for wearing face masks for children, when can they use them?

Rules for wearing masks for children

At the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, the CDC recommended wearing masks only to people who felt sick. As the number of spread continued to increase, they finally appealed to the public to wear masks when going outside.

This rule applies to everyone, including children. However, many parents may wonder at what age children need to wear masks.

Here are some things that parents need to pay attention to when they want to put masks on their children.

1. Masks are not recommended for children under two years

The CDC does not recommend children under two years of age use face masks. The rules for wearing face masks for children under the year are not enforced because their respiratory tract is much smaller. As a result, breathing with a mask will be more difficult.

In addition, the use of masks on babies can increase the risk of suffocation. Masks make it more difficult for babies to breathe because they have less access to air.

Meanwhile, when they have difficulty breathing, babies cannot remove their own masks and this can endanger their health.

Meanwhile, older toddlers may feel uncomfortable using masks and touch their faces more. As a result, the rules for wearing face masks for children are not very effective.

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2. No need to use at home

Apart from not being recommended for children under two years of age, the rule of wearing masks for other children is that they do not need to be used at home.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, if a child is at home with the rest of the household, they don't need to wear a mask. This is of course assuming they are not exposed to people who may be positive for COVID-19.

In addition, masks also do not need to be used when the child can be told to keep a distance from other people and not touch items that may be contaminated.

3. Wear a mask when going to crowded places

One of the basic rules of wearing face masks for children is to use them when you and your child go to a crowded place. Generally, this rule applies where it is difficult to enforce physical distancing , such as supermarkets, doctor's offices, or pharmacies.

If you and your child are in a quiet place and can keep at least 2-3 meters away from other people, wearing a mask may not be necessary. This is even more so if the child can avoid surfaces that may be contaminated by the virus.

For example, you and your child can take a walk around the house keeping a distance from other people and not touching things that might be splashed with the virus.

4. Use of masks for children with special conditions

One of the rules of wearing face masks for children that parents should not forget is to first look at their health conditions, such as:

• N95 mask for children at high risk or suffer from an autoimmune disease
• use of surgical masks for high-risk household members
• standard measures to prevent COVID-19 for children with cognitive impairments and severe respiratory illness

Basically, be at home and applying physical distancing is the best way to protect your family from COVID-19, especially children.

In addition, children whose bodies are not in a healthy condition, such as fever, cough, runny nose or diarrhea, should not go out of the house.

How do children get used to using masks?

For children who are over two years old, they can already use masks. However, it is not uncommon for them to use this “mask” to be scary.

So that this does not happen to your child, there are a number of things parents can do so that the child wants to use a mask, such as:

• in the mirror with the child when already wearing a mask
• tell the reason why masks need to be used
• put a mask on the child's favorite toy as buddy mask
• buy a mask with a doll pattern or the child's favorite animal
• invite children to make their own masks with the design results
• showing photos of other kids who uses a mask
• practice using masks at home so that children get used to it

If you have children under three years of age, it is best to answer their questions in a language the child understands. For example, when they ask about the reasons for wearing a mask, try to explain that this rule sometimes applies when they are sick. When it is cured, the mask can be removed.

Meanwhile, for children over three years of age, you can concentrate on how to explain COVID-19 and germs. You can tell that there are many kinds of germs, including bad and good.

Bad germs can make the body sick. However, you don't know what is good and bad, so children need to wear masks to protect themselves.

One of the challenges that makes it difficult for parents to get their child to wear a mask is that children feel different or perceive themselves as sick. However, the more people who use masks, the children will get used to the habit and will not feel strange.

Facial mask ingredients for children

Actually, homemade masks or cloth masks that are commonly used by many people can also be used by children. However, one thing to remember about using masks on children is that they are comfortable and fit snugly over their mouth and nose.

Masks made from the right size elastic are usually more suitable for children. Therefore, try to find the right type and size of masks for children so they can stay comfortable when using them.

The rules for wearing masks for children are actually not quite difficult. It's just that you need to pay attention to whether the child feels comfortable when using it.

In addition, the use of masks also needs to be accompanied by efforts to prevent transmission of COVID-19, such as maintaining cleanliness and body health.