How to Use Humidifier for Baby - Nursery Instructions

There is a clear distinction between babies and every other stage of human growth spanning from children to the elderly. Most of this discrepancies comes as a result of the tenderness of little ones. On how to use humidifier for baby, newborns are very tender to handle and carry. They are also venerable on the inside too.

Environmental conditions could easily make an impact on infants’ health. One notorious example of this is poor humid conditions. But not to worry the humidifiers can combat that.

Humidifiers have so far become one of the essential commodities for purchase when setting up a baby’s room. In fact, their importance cannot be overestimated. Humidifiers exist for the primary purpose of increasing the humidity content of the air in the process. This makes it inhabitable for microorganisms that cause infections during the cold season.

It is necessary that you protect your baby from the harsh condition of cold and joint infections like cough, dry throat, sinuses, and flu during the season. But how do I use a humidifier to maximize its benefits without any detrimental repercussions? By following our instructions carefully you are sure to come out smiling with a healthy baby.

Also Read: Baby Air Purifier vs Humidifier

Is it okay to use humidifier for a baby?

Humidifiers have been carefully designed with possible usage scenarios of usage, as fitted with safety features to match. As a result, the problems you might have read about or heard of while using it is mostly of improper use.

Before installing a humidifier in a baby’s room, be sure to have a good knowledge of the DO’s and Don’ts associated with it. Now to the question of whether it is ok to use a humidifier for a baby, sure it is. It is not just ok, but also expedient you have one for them.

The reason is that having a working humidifier in the room is going to get rid of that dry air present, especially in winter seasons. This could cause your little one problems. Use a humidifier for your child, but make sure you do it right. Otherwise, it could end up doing much more useful than harm to them.

Read Here: Best Humidifier for sore throat

What kind of humidifier is best for a baby?

There are several types of humidifiers out there. It is crucial you choose the specific one that would do justice to the environment of your baby. Read about the several types of humidifiers out there. Then, check the recommendation given on the best for your baby with reasons why.

The first type of humidifier is the evaporator. They create moisture by blowing water droplets through a moistened filter. After which a built-in fan blows and expels humidity into the air from the filter.

Evaporators are beneficial moisture generators, and therefore have a problem of expelling too much into the air. This could cause problems for asthmatic patients and also support the tendency of mold growing in corners around the home.

Impeller humidifiers create moisture with the help of rotating discs at high speed, which is responsible for breaking down water into a fine mist. Being able to create cool mist only, they carry little operational risks. However, there is a downside of causing breathing problems for people with allergies and asthma when overused.

Vaporizers, another type of humidifier, create mist by heating water and cooling it before releasing into the air. Due to the heating process, be sure to get a burn if placed close to the human body. Finally, ultrasonic humidifiers work by producing mist with the help of ultrasonic vibrations, which breaks down water to fine mist.

The ultrasonic humidifier is recommended for children’s room due to the clean mist generation process and a lack of heating element, unlike the vaporizer, which can cause burns. They mostly come with the cool or warm mist option, accommodating your kids across the year and season changes.

Also Read: Best Humidifiers for colds

When should I use humidifier for a baby?

It is not enough you know how to use a humidifier or even maintenance procedures to keep it running. Understanding the time and season to keep it running is also essential. Before knowing when to keep your humidifier up, it is vital that you understand the place you reside in and its environmental condition.

Although humidifiers are most useful in cold seasons, there are places where the air remains very dry. In such a case, we don’t recommend you simply use humidifiers during winter.

Do not merely conclude on humidity levels based on how you feel the air. It is rather essential to get a more accurate perspective on the actual level of humidity.

Always measure the level of humidity in the environment to know when and how long to run the humidifier. Or better still, purchase one with the smart mode, that is able to do all that automatically. Humidity can drop at any season and at any time of the year.

Here is what to know and do when Humidifier causes Cough

Can I use a humidifier in the baby room all night?

This is one of the questions that plague the minds of many regarding the safety measures required when making use of a humidifier, especially when you are not there to monitor it.

Addressing the question, if you can use a humidifier in the baby room all night, then yes, you can. However, there are several potential problems to address and recommendations to adhere to in order to ensure it doesn’t come biting back.

Firstly, never leave a vaporizer type humidifier or any other type that employs an element heating mechanism to create a mist. This is really dangerous to use around babies due to their tender skin, and can easily cause burns when the atmospheric temperature becomes too high, or the device placed too close to their bed.

Vaporizers produce very clean mist; however, due to the heating process that kills all germs in the water. They are also liable to quick chemical buildups, which could be harmful if released along with the mist.

The most baby-friendly humidifier to use is an ultrasonic cool mist type, and it is as a result of the clean mist generation procedure, and lack of heating process. It is also, for this reason, a cool-mist is preferred to the warm mist option, safety.

In all, you can surely use that cool mist ultrasonic type humidifier in your baby’s room all night without fear of possible harm. If you can, also get one with the smart mode as earlier spoken of, which is able to toggle between on and off in order to balance humidity conditions. In essence, keeping it not too high, either allowing it to drop too low.

Also Read: What causes low Humidity in a House

Step-by-step guide on using a humidifier in the baby room

Firstly, select the best humidifier for your needs, and following our recommendation, it should be an ultrasonic cool mist type. Before selecting, also consider other essential features that would come in handy for ensuring maximum impact and convenience to the user.

After purchasing and unpacking the unit, study the manufacturers manual on how the unit can be coupled (many humidifiers come disassembled) and also how it operates as well as any other thing they think you should know before using the unit.

Assemble the unit, leaving the water tank out. Fixing in the water tank and getting the device ready for use, it is crucial you wash the tank in case of any dirt or contaminations that might have gotten in during manufacture, packaging, or shipping. Clean with distilled water and mild soap.

Fill the tank to the safety marked level and fix it in any filter if it has one. We recommend you use strictly distilled water when dealing with babies, to avoid minerals in the water that could cause contaminations.

Find a suitable position for the humidifier in the room. Ensure the device isn’t placed close to any walls (12 inches away, preferably), and it should sit on a hard surface, which is a few inches off the floor. Do not place your humidifier under any object, or where its mist nozzle can be obstructed.

Toggle the humidifier settings to your taste, and a safe level for your baby. Humidity should be set to between 40 and 50%.

Ensure the humidifier is cleaned regularly to avoid molds and mineral build-ups in the unit, which is harmful to the baby.

Note that the humidifier should not be placed too close to the baby’s bed.

Are Vicks vapopads safe for babies?

Vicks vapopads are actual pads infused with essential oils and other beneficial flavors and scents that would help relieve infections like cough, congestion, and breathing problems. What is its impact on babies?

Babies have small airways, which even gets shorter most times when exposed to cold or other infections. Using these vapor pads would most likely cause more irritations of their sensitive and already swollen airways, making it more difficult to breathe. Most vapopads are fused with intense menthol, which is really hard for babies to breathe in, and in the long run could cause mucus to fill their nose, causing more congestion.

It is therefore not recommended you use vapopads with humidifiers around babies due to the numerous possible problems it could pose in the end.

Final thought on how to use humidifiers for babies

Humidifiers are wholly beneficial and, when appropriately used, it is harmless to your baby, and if you aren’t exactly sure whether to get one or not, this is your cue.

Dip into the market and get the best your money can buy for that little one of yours. He or she deserves the best possible. Be sure never to forget to clean the humidifier regularly to avoid it doing harm than good.

Important Read:

Important Reviews: