Effects of the Haze on Babies And Pregnant Women – How To Protect Them?by Dr. Srikanta J T

How Does Haze Affect My Baby’s Health?

The haze can reduce the quality of air. Many studies have shown that poor air quality during haze can affect the health of babies.

1. Irritation in Eyes

Due to the haze, your baby can face eye irritation. The suspended air particles are pollutants that can cause allergies, irritation, redness, and water in the eyes.

2. Mild Sneezing, Runny Nose, Dry Throat, and Dry Cough

The allergens and pollutants in haze could cause these conditions in your baby. In some cases, your baby might develop skin rashes as well.

3. Breathlessness or Asthma

Respiratory issues in babies due to the haze are quite common. Your baby could even have severe asthma because of the haze.

[Read :  Asthma in Toddlers]

How to Protect Your Baby During the Haze?

Here are some of the guidelines that you can follow to give proper protection to your baby from the various effects of haze.

1. To Alleviate Eye Irritation

Using eye drops of saline solution, which is available in most pharmacies, will help you to relieve this irritation from your baby’s eyes. Also, according to some mothers, breast milk can work as effectively as a saline solution in reducing eye irritation.

2. For Breathlessness

Asthma in children is mostly a reaction caused by a trigger. The haze is one of the primary suspects in these cases. If you observe breathlessness in your baby, you should not waste time in taking your child to a doctor.

3. For Sneezing, Runny Nose, Cough, And Dry Throat

Those children who are under one year should never be given cough or cold medication. To find out suitable treatment procedures, you should contact your pediatrician or family doctor. Also, make sure that your baby is getting adequate rest and taking lots of fluids, including water, breast milk, juices, and soups. If your baby develops a fever, then you should consult your doctor before giving any paracetamol.

[Read : Ibuprofen And Paracetamol For Your Children]

What Can I do to Protect My Baby From the Haze?

Following are a few tips that help you to protect your baby from the haze:

1. Breastfeed

It is one of the best ways that a mother can protect her baby’s health. With breastfeeding, your baby is getting antibodies and some vital natural immunity. Babies who breastfeed will get milder symptoms of cold and flu. The best part is, even if you have a fever or are feeling sick, you can breastfeed your baby.

2. Never Smoke And Always Stay Away From Smokers

You need to make sure that you and your baby maintain a distance from smokers. If you or your husband is a smoker, then quit it as soon as possible for the healthy life of your baby.

3. Follow Good Hygiene Habits

Make sure that everyone in your house washes their hands after returning home before touching the baby. Also, if the baby went outside, then you can consider taking him or her to a bath and changing the clothes.

4. Stay Indoors

The best way to protect your baby from the haze is by keeping the baby indoors. Make sure that you keep all your doors and windows shut. You can also look to use air purifiers as they can help to improve the air quality inside your house. Humidifiers can also reduce the respiratory problems that your baby might face due to the haze.

How to Protect Your Older Children From Haze?

For families who often face conditions and their children getting affected by the haze, here are a few tips and precautions

• If your older children wear contact lenses, then switch to spectacles, at least when the haze becomes severe.
• The issues of a runny nose, sneezing, cough, and dry throat can be tackled using certain medications.
• Before applying any medication to your children, make sure that you contact your doctor.
• When the haze becomes severe, older children should wear masks to change them from time to time.

What Are the Effects of the Haze on Pregnant Women?

The haze can extensively affect the air quality, and extremely poor air quality can potentially affect the baby in the womb in many ways. This is because the pollutants inhaled by the mother have more chances of reaching the womb through the umbilical cord.

Air pollution exposure of the expecting mother (depending on the severity) is associated with:

• Lower IQ in childhood.
• Low birth weight
• Premature births
• Stillbirths
• Infant deaths.

Also, expecting mothers from the areas with a high concentration of carbon monoxide have three times the chance of giving birth to babies with

• Cleft lips and palates
• Defects in the heart valve.

Even though it is very important not to get exposed to haze during pregnancy, don’t get panic if you can’t stay away from it. Remember, the haze is a temporary phenomenon. The increased risk of congenital defects associated with haze will happen only with long exposure.

How to Deal With Haze During Pregnancy?

If you are pregnant and have constant exposure to haze, here is what you can do.

1. Stay Hygienic

When you come back home from the outside, make sure that you wash your hands and face and instruct everyone in your house to do the same. Having a bath after coming home from the outside is a good idea too.

2. Stay Hydrated

Drinking two liters of water when the haze is severe could protect a pregnant woman from the bad effects of the haze.

3. Stay Fit

An active lifestyle will ensure that your immunity level is at the highest point when the haze is severe.

4. Eat Healthy Diet

Eat a healthy and balanced diet as it will protect you from the haze.

Measures to be Taken

If you want to protect your baby and yourself (also if you are a pregnant woman) from the adverse effects of the haze keep a close eye on the quality of air in your locality. Through the air pollution index, you will be able to find out whether the air quality of your locality is good or moderate or unhealthy or very unhealthy or hazardous. By doing so, you and your baby will stay safe from the adverse effects of the haze.

In the present industrialized and polluted world, the effects of haze on babies and pregnant women are a constant problem. It is true that haze can cause many health issues for babies, pregnant women, and the fetus growing within them. However, with care and a few precautions, it is possible to escape the effects of haze on babies and pregnant women.

Read Also: Bronchiolitis in Babies – Causes, Signs, and Treatments by Dr. Srikanta J T