Any Thoughts on Using a Vaporizer on 8 Month Old?

Two points. First, as a mother-in-law, I take issue with your attitude of "Of course, without asking!." Was she doing you a favor? It appears she was; you were out of town.

Secondly, she did what she thought might be helpful to your child. She is a grandmother and loves the children. Do you think she would do something that would hurt them? It seemed to, by your own admittance, help your daughter's coughing. Do you think new moms are the only ones who know how to handle anything. Give her some credit; she, too, was a mom and now is a grandmother. Get real!!!!!!!

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That is a tried and true method, somethings never change.
Common sense doesnt need to call the peditrician all the time.

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Hi N.,

I'm a Mom of 4 and use vaporizers ALOT! I have seasonal allergies and so do my kids. Mostly my boys. Tony was born in January when the forced hot air heat is on the most! It dries the air out terribly! I've used the vaporizer when he was just a few days old. It puts the moisture back in the dry air which helps stuffy noses dry tight coughs etc. Our Pediatrician recommends the warm mist in the winter and cool mist in the summer but he says do whichever you prefer. I liked the warm mist in the winter it also warms the room and the cool in the warmer weather so it doesn't get so hot. Our Pediatrician recommends letting the hot water run in the shower to make steam and just sit in the steamy room with the kids.
I hope this helps?
I. B.

A little about me: I'm a 41 year old Mom of 4 ages 23,19,5,3. Grandmother of 1, Nicky turned 1 in Feb.
I'm a work from home Mom with my own business. www.trisharay.candlebizfromhome.com

We have been using one for our 10 month old for a few months now. We started when he had a cold and it worked well. Our pediatrician actually recommended it.

I don't see how it could hurt as long as it is cleaned out properly so that it is germ free. If the water sits too long in ours, even though it is used every night, there is a film that forms. When I wash it with soapy water, the water turns brown. The "white noise" should also make her sleep better.

our pediatrician always recommended one for the few colds my kids experienced. the cold mist is safer than the warm ones in the germs are less likely to grow in it. however, having used both over the course of my life i am sure the key with both is to keep them super clean. that is very easy to do with a little elbow grease. big companies like kenmore also make a liquid you can run through humidifiers to clean them regularly.

we use a biggie to humidify our whole home and it is really helpful during the dry winter months. my asthma doctor even recommended it.

Our pediatrician told us that there is almost no difference between a vaporizer and a humidifier. Our son used one early on and they are actually better than using any medicine. Don't worry, your mother-in-law did not hurt your child.

as long as its cool mist and not blowing near or on the baby i really dont think there is a problem with it especially if it helps...

When my kids have had colds and stuff my pediatrician did recommend using a vaporizer. Sometimes the air in the house can get really dry and the moisture from a vaporizer helps to keep the airway moist so that it does not dry out too much. When the airway dries too much it can actually cause infection. Hope this helps.

Hi N..
I actually asked my kids doctor once why cool mist instead of warm and she told me that it was mainy because of burn danger. I told her I didn't like the cool mist because it seemed to make my walls collect condensation even with the door open, and she said to go ahead and use the warm one and just make sure it is out of babies reach. With both the cool mist and warm vaporizers she said to make sure to change the water daily, not to let water sit in it if not running, and to clean it according to the dirctions weekly. I run the warm vaporizer in my 2 year old's room fairly often through the winter months. I find it really does help. Good luck and try not to be so hard on your mother-in-law. Its not like she was giving your child food or medicine without your approval.

I use the warm mist vaporizer with my son when he is sick (He's 6 mo) on the advice of the pediatric nurse at our practice. The warm mist ones can be dangerous once the kids are up and moving around (they can get pretty hot) but while they are still securely in their cribs at night it shouldn't be a problem. Just make sure your 3 year old can't ever get to it...

Oh, and I also understand your concerns about your m-i-l doing things without your permission. Some grandparents have taken the time and energy to get educated about what is now recommended, and but it seems that most have not. preferring to do things the same way they did 20, 30, 40 years ago. Moms are under so much more pressure now than they ever have been to "do everything right" and we have SO much more information than parents did in the past, that it can make us Moms very uptight about leaving our children with people we don't feel we can trust. To all the grandparents out there, I say, "you probably are right that it is ok to (put the baby to sleep on his stomach, use a vaporizer, feed him honey, etc.) but do you want to be someone that helps the mom to feel comfortable or someone who simply adds to their stress?" Laugh at us with your friends, but and don't endanger your relationship with your children and grandchildren with snide comments and unsolicited advice. And, Moms, let's remember how we wanted to be treated when it is time for us to be the grandparents! :-)

The peds I've taken my kids too recommended vaporizers to help with cold symptoms even in young babies. They recommend the cool mist vaporizers as opposed to the warm mist ones - I think because of the danger of children getting near the hot/warm mist and getting burned (you can ask your ped to be sure). Otherwise I think the only issue is making sure they are cleaned properly so they aren't putting bacteria into the air.

cool mist humifiers are normally recommended these days. I think it is not a bad idea if it helps your childs cough. I would also put a air purifier in the room. may be your child has allergies.

vaporizers can be really helpfull with a child or adult that has a cough, or that lives in a dry house, or is really conjested. I use them in our home when any of us have a bad cold. The thing is you have to have the right vaporizer, and it has to be maintained properly. They can be a breeding ground for mold if not cleaned and maintained. They are not very expensive and I suggest if you are going to use one you get a new one and place it properly in the room. You should call you Dr. office and at least ask the nurse about it. Sometimes the old treatments are better...and actually work better. Good luck and best wishes.

I'm a mother and a nurse and I don't think that your mother in law did anything wrong. I have used a vaporizer for my son for many years. (Asthma, allergies, ear infections, sinus infections and colds) he sleeps better and doesn't cough hardly at all at night. I would rather use a vaporizer than to shove medicine down his throat. Most Dr's say to use a cool mist humidifier. But the room gets cooler and doesn't work as well as a vaporizer anyway. Just make sure to clean the vaporizer and rinse it very well after every use. The reason the Dr's get concerned is because some people don't rinse/clean them and with the warm vapor. You can grow mold and breed germs. But as long as you keep it clean you won't have any problems to my knowledge.

I am a nurse, with 3 children 3yrs and under with the 4th on the way. I do use the vaperizor with them in the winter months. It seems that the heat sometimes makes it dryer in the house and the mist helps to moisten the air to help with coughing. I was always told to use a cool mist vaporizor rather than a warm one. And I also heard that it is important to change to water daily to prevent bacteria from growing in the water. Good luck.

Vaporizers, cool/warm mist humidifiers... will never go out of style. I finally bought a humidifier for my living room, where we hang out the most, and we had so many less colds this winter. I will use one from now on all thru the winter. They are great at helping with coughs and congestion. Keepin the airways moist is best.

Seeing as you had proof her cough seemed better afterward, that should tell you right there.

(Doctors, news, etc. keep changing everything, this is bad, no now it's good, blah blah blah. Use your best instinct and pray on everything.)

Hi N.,
I'm not exactly sure what the difference is between a vaporizor and a cool mist humidifier but I got a cool mist humidifier for my baby shower, and it was a blessing! I ran it in my son's room (mainly for some white noise) almost constantly for the first year (started usiing it after his very first cold) and I think it really helped him to keep his nasal passages moist & healthy. He had VERY few colds as a baby and no ear infections. Not sure if that was a direct result, but I know, especially in the winter, when the furnace is on, the cool mist keeps him from getting a crusty, dry nose. Just make sure the machine is clean and the filters are clean and replaced regularly. My son is now 5 and I still run it in his room when the house seems dry and when he has congestion.

My Ped did indeed recommend a humidifier for my son. He said to use a cool mist and put it at least a yard stick away from the crib. We bought it when he was around 12 months & it really helped him this past winter with congestion. We just started using it again, as I think he may have a bit of allergies & it sure does help the night time coughing. I even use it on low at nap time. Sounds like you may need to buy her/get her to buy a new one that is easy to clean to avoid mold. On a side note, I agree that care takers should ALWAYS ask Mom or Dad before they try anything new like that, that would frustrate me too!

There is nothing wrong with what your Mother-in-law did. There are no over-the-counter cold medications for children under two anymore. Most pediatricians won't prescribe any. If you are concerned about the vaporizer, use a product called Sudacare. You plug it into an outlet and is puts a medicated scent into the air that helps with congestion, etc.

I used a vaporizer on both my children when they were that age and I still do. I used it alot with my son. It really helped the sleep better at night. If you don't feel that this is right for your child ask your child's doctor. My opinion sometimes you go with what you feel is right for your child no matter what the doctor say. If I listened to the doctor when my son was not eating right at the age of 3 weeks my son may not be around now. He is 33 months now.

Hi N. - We are faithful 'vaporizer' users. Our children are 2 years and 6 years, and their Pediatricians tell us it is helpful to use them. Since a lot of the otc cold medicines have been taken away, this gives us more reason to use it.
Just ask your child's Pediatrician first. Best of luck!!
~V.

Hi N.
I borrowed my moms from when I was little and it was all moldy!! The Dr said to use a cool mist humidifier. I think the warm ones are a burn hazard and may send out mold spores! Good luck!

I use a vaporizer for my 3 year old whenever he is congested, it's great and does help. Think about how good it feels to stand in a hot shower when you've got a bad chest cold. It's a much better alternative to prescription medication for littlies.

We started using a cool mist humidifier in my daughter's room when we turned the heat on last fall (she was about 7 months old then). She never really got sick this winter, but she was also not in daycare and was breast fed. I don't know if a humidifier is much different from a vaporizer, but I would recommend them when the heat is on. You can educate yourself on types of humidiers at consumerreports.org. Good luck!

Well I know my ped. recommemded a cool air humidifier/vaporizer when the kids were sick. But keep in mind that our parents used those old fashion ones and we all seem to be fine. But I would call your peditrician and see what they suggest.

My daughter is almost 8 months old and has always sounded congested. He recommended using one since she was just a few weeks old. He recommended a cool mist though, just incase she would get ahold of it or be in the mist.