Q. Our pediatrician suggested that we use a cold-air humidifier to
help our 1-month-old baby's dry skin and congestion. However, I've read
these three articles that recommend using warm-air humidifiers instead.
In your opinion, which is best—cold or warm air?
A. I prefer a warm-air vaporizer to a cool-air humidifier for two reasons:
Warm air is cleaner
It's
especially important that a newborn breathe clean air. A vaporizer
literally vaporizes germs by converting water to steam, which then kills
any bacteria present.
Warm, moist air equals easier breathing
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steam releases heat as it condenses, a vaporizer can act as a bedroom
heat source during the cold winter months. This allows you to turn down
the central heating in the nursery and thus lessen the negative impact
of dry air on your baby's tiny breathing passages. Dry air causes the
mucus that lines the breathing passages to thicken and accumulates into
globs. Eventually, these globs grow too thick to be coughed up; they get
stuck in the airways and result in an infection. That's why my standard
prescription for a baby with a cold, especially during the cooler
months, is a "steam clean" and "nose hose" combo, which keeps the mucus
loose so it can be more easily coughed up. (Squirt an over-the-counter
or homemade saltwater solution into your baby's stuffed nasal passages
and gently suck it out with a nasal aspirator.)
Most humidifiers
produce a cool mist and are therefore less effective than vaporizers.
If you're interested in purchasing a humidifier, your best bet would be
one of the newer, high-tech ultrasonic models. These use high-frequency
sound to break water particles into a mist. Some even produce smaller
size vapor particles, allowing for deeper, more effective penetration of
the breathing passages. They're used primarily in hospitals for infants
who have bronchitis or whose deeper airways are plugged with mucus.
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Consider other precautions
Due
to the hot steam they produce, vaporizers pose a burn hazard. (This is
one reason warm-mist vaporizers fell out of favor for a while.) Be sure
to keep yours out of your baby's reach, and instruct toddlers to stay
away from it. Also, clean your vaporizer according to the manufacturer's
instructions at least once a week. To prevent accumulation of lint and
germs, change the water daily and dry the vaporizer between uses.
