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The impact of face masks on children—A mini review
Author(s) -
Eberhart Martin,
Orthaber Stefan,
Kerbl Reinhold
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/apa.15784
Subject(s) - medicine , covid-19 , pandemic , face masks , cochrane library , medline , narrative review , pediatrics , family medicine , alternative medicine , intensive care medicine , disease , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , political science , outbreak , law
Abstract Aim Face masks are essential during the COVID‐19 pandemic, and the United Nations Children's Fund and the World Health Organization, recommend that they are used for children aged six years and older. However, parents are increasingly expressing concerns about whether these might be physically harmful. This mini review assessed the evidence. Method We conducted a narrative review on the effects of mask wearing on physiological variables in children, using PubMed, the Cochrane Library and the World Health Organization COVID‐19 Database up to 7 November 2020. The lack of paediatric studies prompted a second search for adult studies. Results We only found two paediatric studies, published in 2019 and 2020. The 2020 study was not related to COVID‐19. Only one study, performed with N95 respirators, collected medical parameters, and this did not suggest any harmful effects of gas exchange. The eight adult studies, including four prompted by the pandemic and one on surgeons, reported that face masks commonly used during the pandemic did not impair gas exchange during rest or mild exercise. Conclusion International guidelines recommend face masks for children aged six years and older, but further studies are needed to provide evidence‐based recommendations for different age groups.