Air purifiers and air humidifiers

Nina Shapiro, MD Pediatric Otolaryngologist, shares advice for parents on how air purifiers and air humidifiers can benefit kids with allergies, congestions and respiratory illness
The Benefits Of Using Air Purifies And Air Humidifiers For Kids
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Air purifiers and air humidifiers

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Well when we think about pollution, we are often thinking about the outdoors. But we often don't think about pollution in our own homes. Kids, infants are in the home a lot, so you really need to think about the air quality in your own home. Air purifiers filter out very small particles in the home. They are beneficial to some children; not all homes need an air purifier. If your child happens to have a lot of congestion, if there are family members with allergies where you're worried that your child might become an allergic child, an air purifier may be a good idea. If there's a lot of dust in your home, certainly an air purifier is a great idea. It is not absolutely necessary. Kids that have respiratory problems do benefit from air purifiers; healthy children, it's not necessary. Humidifiers create moisture in the home. They're usually used in rooms, they are great when your child is sick, when they have congestion, if they have a respiratory illness. The humidifiers help loosen the child's congestion. So humidifiers are usually used when children are sick.

Nina Shapiro, MD Pediatric Otolaryngologist, shares advice for parents on how air purifiers and air humidifiers can benefit kids with allergies, congestions and respiratory illness

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Nina Shapiro, MD

Pediatric Otolaryngologist

Dr. Nina Shapiro is the Director of Pediatric Otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat) and an Associate Professor of Surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.  As the first fellowship-trained pediatric otolaryngologist at the medical center since it was founded in 1955, her presence has put UCLA 'on the map' in her field.  

A graduate of Harvard Medical School and Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences, she also completed her residency training at Harvard.  She then went on to complete additional subspecialty training in pediatric otolaryngology at the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London, and The Children's Hospital of San Diego.

A native of New York, Shapiro has been honored with several prestigious awards, including the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology Award for Clinical Research, the UCLA Division of Head and Neck Surgery Faculty Teaching Award, and the American Academy of Pediatrics Young Investigators Award.  She has also been named "Super Doctor" by Los Angeles Magazine, and has been listed in "Who's Who in America".  

She has authored over 70 peer-reviewed journal articles, has edited a pediatric otolaryngology textbook, and is the author of the parenting book Take a Deep Breath: Clear the Air for the Health of Your Child, releaseded in January 2012. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children, and enjoys spending time with them more than anything else in the world.

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Transcription: 
Well when we think about pollution, we are often thinking about the outdoors. But we often don't think about pollution in our own homes. Kids, infants are in the home a lot, so you really need to think about the air quality in your own home. Air purifiers filter out very small particles in the home. They are beneficial to some children; not all homes need an air purifier. If your child happens to have a lot of congestion, if there are family members with allergies where you're worried that your child might become an allergic child, an air purifier may be a good idea. If there's a lot of dust in your home, certainly an air purifier is a great idea. It is not absolutely necessary. Kids that have respiratory problems do benefit from air purifiers; healthy children, it's not necessary. Humidifiers create moisture in the home. They're usually used in rooms, they are great when your child is sick, when they have congestion, if they have a respiratory illness. The humidifiers help loosen the child's congestion. So humidifiers are usually used when children are sick.