An air purifier is usually a good device to have in a newborn’s nursery. It’s especially true if one or both parents suffer from allergies or other air quality problems. Babies up to toddlers are more vulnerable to health issues from air pollution or air quality – indoors and outdoors, and most little ones are going to spend far more time indoors. Newborns especially are at higher health risks if they are in contaminated indoor air. What’s important to look for in the best air quality devices for newborns?

Why Get an Air Purifier for Babies and Young Children?

Here are some factors to think about. Why is an air purifier usually a very good idea? Then, what is helpful to consider?

First, indoor air quality is an average of five times more polluted than outdoor air. So a newborn, likely indoors even more of the time than older kids and adults are, is even more reliant on good air quality in a home. Just because you keep windows and doors closed in a home or a nursery, this doesn’t automatically mean clean, safe air. In some ways, for some contaminants or particulates, it may mean worse air quality.

Next, a newborn’s immune system is still weaker and growing. It is still developing. It’s more vulnerable to new contaminants or matter.

Infants breathe at a faster rate than older children or adults. So, along with being in the same environment for long periods, they are simply needing to breathe in more air. Constant exposure to poor air quality can cause other illnesses or longer-term health issues.

Also, if one or both parents have allergies, a child is more likely to have allergies. If both parents have allergies, the likelihood for the newborn is up to 70% more probable for the same allergy.

Should the Air Purifier Go in the Baby’s Room?

Most people wind up not being allergic or having symptoms from common allergens. This, however, is once they are older and their immune systems are stronger.

For infants and young children, there is more sensitivity to contaminants. It’s more likely a small, young immune system will be triggered by dust, dander, mold and other matter than can be filtered or purified out of air.

If you have a family history of asthma or allergies, it may be good to get an air purifier before any signs or symptoms. Eczema, or skin rashes, may be signs of a reaction which can be a precursor to other allergies or asthma. The better air quality is, the better it is for a newborn’s health.

More ideas, along with an air purifier, are keeping pets out of a baby’s room, removing carpet if a room is becoming a nursery and washing a baby’s bedding very often.

Factors to Think About

Effective

If you’re getting an air purifier, you want a device that’s the right size for your space. You want to know the room or area’s square footage. Then, you want to get a device with enough filtration power for the size.

Next, focus on a high CADR rating. This measures the air flow rate. The higher the CADR, the more the purifier is purifying the air in the area it’s built for.

You need to know a unit’s filtration capacity and type of filter. It’s best to get a purifier with a true HEPA filter and a multi-stage filtration system. Most systems now have an activated carbon filter as one stage. A device with a HEPA filter and carbon filter will filter out nearly 100% of all contaminants, pollen, bacteria, mold and viruses.

Air Quality

An air purifier or air filtration system should result in very good air quality. If not, what’s the point? Air purifiers with a HEPA filter will remove about 99.7% of pollutants. This includes carbon monoxide, radon, chemicals, bacteria, pathogens, smoke, dust and microorganisms.

With any device you choose and use, make sure you change out the filters on a regular basis. You need new and clean filters according to the product’s recommendations in order for it to work.

Removes Allergens

You need a device which works on animal hair, dander, pollen, dust and as many common allergens as possible. An air purifier can help anywhere in the house, and may help adults, too. For a newborn, it’s more helpful to remove as many allergens as you can.

Flexible

Some differences to consider here are if the device itself is horizontal or vertical, or can be configured however you like. The air flow configuration may be important. Is it gathering and distributing air in a 360 -degree style? Again, is it covering air flow for the right size and square footage?

More Options

ENERGY STAR-certified

An Energy Star appliance or device is certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which awards its stamp of approval to energy-efficiency devices. Energy Star ratings tell you about power usage and your energy expenses over the months or years with the unit.

Getting What You Paid For

A low-cost air purifier might be low cost for a reason. For instance, if you will need to change filters very frequently because of the size, functioning or inefficiency of a device, are you really saving money? If you’re likely to ditch the cheap one for a better filtration system, did you save money?

Think Twice About Ionizing

Some air cleaners use ionizing to remove allergens. This works, but it can create ozone in an indoor space. Ozone is a contaminant which impacts people’s lungs and can worsen asthma.

White Noise

This may be a pro or con. The soft humming white noise of an air purifier may be helpful in calming babies. It may help them sleep. Some reports say soft white noise is similar to the sounds of a womb to an infant.

Digital Controls

You will want a device which is easy to operate. Some models have real-time monitoring, can be used with an app or multiple pre-set modes. If you’ve got to be up anyway at 4 a.m., an easy air purifier control is one small help.

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At South End Heating and Air we specialize in HVAC and furnace repair, call us for a free consult and free estimate. We’ll evaluate your system and help make recommendations for optimum value. After all, we want to keep you cool all summer long and warm in the winter. Just schedule a visit with one of our technicians to talk about how we can help with your heating needs. Would you like to learn more options our techs can help you with? Give us a call 704-684-5339.