Masks too dangerous for infants - Japan medical group

Children under the age of two shouldn’t wear masks because they can make breathing difficult and increase the risk of choking, a Japan medical group said, launching an urgent appeal to parents as the country reopens from the coronavirus crisis.

The Japan Pediatric Association has warned parents that masks are too risky for infants.

“Masks can make breathing difficult because infants have narrow air passages,” which increases the burden on their hearts, the association said, adding that masks also raise the risk of heatstroke for them.

“Let’s stop the use of masks for children under two-years-old,” the association said in a notice on its website.

It said that so far there were very few serious coronavirus cases among children and that most kids became infected from family members, with almost no outbreaks at schools or daycare facilities.

The US Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics also say children under the age of two should not wear cloth face covering.