Easing Infant Asthma - 5 Features An Air Cleaner Needs to Have

Easing Infant Asthma - 5 Features An Air Cleaner Needs to Have

By Debbie Davis

If your baby has asthma, it can be heartbreaking to watch them struggle for air. Minimizing these episodes has to be at the top of your list when caring for your child. An air purifier with the following 5 features can help your baby and you breathe easier.

HEPA Filtration - All indoor spaces have airborne particles that are impossible to prevent, but that can be minimized by using high efficiency particle arresting (HEPA) filters. Designed to remove particles as small as.3 microns in size, they can eliminate dust, dust mites, mold and mildew spores, pet dander, as well as bacteria and viruses that cling to these particles.

Even though these particles are typical of most indoor air, babies' respiratory systems are not fully developed. Clearing the air of these pollutants (especially dust mites) can make it easier for your baby to breathe.

Carbon Cloth Filter - This type of filter was originally developed by the British Military as a defense against chemical warfare. It is excellent at removing gases, odors, and noxious chemicals.

You may think you don't have anything like that in baby's room. And you certainly wouldn't knowingly introduce these pollutants to the air. But if you have painted, wallpapered, bought new furniture or bedding, put in new carpet it is very likely that many of these products are off-gassing chemicals.

Fumes that adults may not be aware of may be too much for newly developing lungs to handle. Taking them out before they can cause problems is the advantage of having this type of filter working for you.

24 Hour Operation - Airborne pollutants are always in the air and a cleaner that run all the time is the best way to minimize the amount in the air. Continually reducing those means that they are less likely to accumulate to a level that would cause breathing problems for your child.

A split capacitor motor allows for continuous filtration that is safe and effective. Look for this feature in the technical specifications or owner's manual, and don't put it in your nursery unless it has this type of motor.

360 Degree Intake - Who care about this you may ask. A cleaner that can work effectively when placed as close as 6 inches from any surface is a huge advantage in terms of placement in the nursery. This means the unit can be close to the wall to limit cord exposure. It also means that you get to place in the most convenient place rather than having to place it in the middle of the room as some other cleaners require.

Low Maintenance - Probably the most important part of low maintenance is that it means less interruption in filtration. Avoid cleaners that require you to unplug them and go inside to wash, vacuum, spray, or recharge anything.

Each time you have to perform maintenance like this, your child's air is not being cleaned which means pollutants can build to levels that can cause problems. Instead opt for a purifier that only needs to be vacuumed on the outside while it continues to run, and has a filter life of 5 years or more. That qualifies as low maintenance at its best.