From Klaus Zintz
Pediatricians assure that the oxygen saturation and the CO2 concentration in the blood of healthy children remain in the normal range even when wearing a mask.
Photo: dpa / Andreas Arnold
In the social media in particular, it is discussed whether children can be expected to have medical mouth and nose protection. What about the supposed health risks? And above all: What role does the parents’ acceptance play? What pediatricians say.
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Stuttgart – Since younger children have been going back to school, the discussion about the possible harmful effects of masks has picked up again. One thing is clear: mouth and nose protection is undoubtedly uncomfortable. And it bothers a lot – especially if you haven’t come to terms with it internally. But is it also dangerous from a medical point of view?
At least that’s what stories of alleged deaths from wearing masks, which keep making the rounds on social media, suggest. The German Society for Child and Adolescent Medicine together with the professional association of paediatricians: “These are unfounded rumors.” The reason for this statement: “The medical face masks (surgical masks) are gas-permeable, so there is no oxygen deficiency or significant CO2 retention in healthy children and adolescents who wear these masks for a long time. ”
A little more breathing activity stabilizes the oxygen concentration
What is clear is that the more dense the mask, the greater the breathing resistance. But “healthy children and young people can easily compensate for this with a little more breathing activity while they are resting”, write the paediatricians. Through increased breathing activity, both the oxygen saturation and the CO2 concentration in the blood are “kept stable in a normal range”. However, the experts add that a mask should not be worn during physical exertion, e.g. And babies and toddlers should therefore not wear a mask.
The two professional societies also comment on other reports that are distributed in social networks. This includes, for example, the story that wearing the masks children would develop fungal infections in the lungs and could even die from it. Or that the mask leads to a rag lichen. This is a scaly or weeping rash called impetigo contagiosa, caused by bacteria, and mostly found in children and newborns. Here, too, the pediatricians’ attitude is clear: “These reports do not stand up to any fact check, they are fake news.”
The acceptance and the example of the parents play an essential role
And what about the so-called FFP masks, which filter the breathing air even more effectively than surgical masks? The medical professionals’ statement is also clear: “FFP masks can be used by young people in schools.” The emphasis is on young people because: “The mask sizes are not standardized and tailored to adults. This means that they do not seal adequately for children under the age of twelve. ”However, their effectiveness cannot be assessed any differently than with everyday masks. The same applies to FFP masks for adults and adolescents alike that, according to the work instructions, they should not be worn continuously for more than 75 minutes – followed by a break of half an hour.
The experts also make it clear: The increasing breathing resistance with thicker masks can definitely be perceived as uncomfortable. And they add that “especially when worn for long periods without breaks it can lead to complaints such as headaches”. Regular breaks and airing are therefore very important, especially when wearing a mask.
The paediatricians also emphasize that a key factor is whether the parents accept wearing a mask: “The more normally I, as a parent, show how to wear a mask, the more likely my child will tolerate the mask. The more I doubt whether to wear it myself, the more likely the child will see the mask as a burden and have headaches and concentration problems. ”
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