"What a good boy you are."
Little Emilio Romo is getting his one month check up.
Like many parent's his mom has a humidifier at home, just in case he catches a cold, or the air is too dry. She says it works great for all her children," says Jacquie Romo, parent.
But according to a doctor at the University of Utah, humidifiers may do more harm than good.
Dr. Ameet Daftary says a six-month-old patient of his suffered from serious lung problems. And he blames it on an ultrasonic humidifier, saying that the lungs of babies may not be able to handle the chemical particles that ultrasonic humidifiers can kick out.
He also says there isn't any clear evidence that humidifiers actually relieve cold symptoms. "When we give a child a breathing treatment in the office, in the emergency room it's humidified air," says Bill Hitchcock, m.d., pediatrician.
La Jolla Pediatrician Dr. Bill Hitchcock believes humidifiers do help, if they are properly cleaned after each use.
Otherwise, they can build up bacteria, fungus and a white dust created by minerals, all of which can irritate the lungs. "I'd be cautious, make sure I'm cleaning it, make sure I'm using it properly. I don't think you need to throw it in the garbage just yet."
Another tip ... you should always use distilled water to reduce the amount of minerals expelled by the humidifier.
