This Common Household Item Can Make The Inside of your Baby’s Nose Black

As parents, you leave no stone unturned to make sure your baby is safe, healthy and growing up in comfortable surroundings. This is why you don’t let anything harmful come in contact with your baby and keep anything even remotely dangerous miles away. But despite your caution, there could be one household item you have always thought harmless that could actually be doing irreversible damage to your baby! What happened with this mom and her little infant is a warning you must heed and share with everyone you know!

Her baby was still very little . She was working around the house, doing the many chores that mothers have to complete. Several hours passed by without event. When night came, both mother and her baby drifted off to sleep, oblivious to what had transpired silently. The next morning, Meghan went to feed her baby and held him close to her. She was in for the shock of a lifetime. Her baby’s nose had developed horrific black spots – overnight! For the life of her, she could not understand what had triggered these spots and it did not seem like a skin problem. Her doctor then diagnosed the real problem. The culprit was a household item she hadn’t even realized could be dangerous.

Scented Candles

The day before, when she was working around the nose, Meghan had lit two scented candles. She simply thought they would make the air fragrant and didn’t think anything more of it. What possible harm could scented candles do, right? She had them burning for six or seven hours. With time, the black soot given off by the candles accumulated inside her baby’s nose. This led to the formation of black specks, very much like the soot associated with chimneys and factories, all near the infant’s still underdeveloped nasal tract! Not only could this have interfered with his breathing but some studies have revealed something even more disturbing: if you burn these candles for more than three hours, they begin to react with elements in the air and emit a cancer causing substance!

Source: https://www.littlethings.com/

Seems odd, doesn’t it, that common household candles could be so dangerous? Some studies have confirmed that limonene, an ingredient commonly used to give candles their aroma, changes into formaldehyde when burned. And formaldehyde has been listed as an official cancer causing substance. The candles that you thought were keeping the air fresh could be posing a life-threatening cancer risk to the one dearest to you.

Meghan and her baby were fortunate that she noted the problem well in time. She has shared her experience via the internet to warn other mothers and we can’t help but be thankful. If her baby’s exposure to this smoke had continued, who knows how his gentle body and respiratory system might have reacted!

Here’s How You Can Ensure Your Baby is Safe

While this incident happened in New Jersey, it could happen to any of us, anywhere. Scented candles are very popular in many households as they make the air fresh and resplendent. They can also be very relaxing to look at. But does this shocking incident mean you should stop using them completely? No. The National Candle Association in the US has commented on the incident stating that the soot in household candles isn’t dangerous for adults. What you have to do is keep these considerations in mind and your baby will be safe from potential danger:

• Extensive and prolonged use of these candles around infants should be restricted. You must limit their usage to a couple of hours at most.
• Ensure that your house is well ventilated and open the windows and doors for a number of hours each day.
• Make sure your baby’s room (nursery, bedroom, etc.) is airy and free from dust or smoke particles in the air. Use an air freshener if required but prefer only natural and baby-safe formulations.
• Inspect your baby’s nasal and ear tract everyday to check for accumulation of foreign particles. You should keep these tracts clean with gentle buds and cleansers.
• Keep air-purifying houseplants at home that have been proven to absorb formaldehyde. Lavender and spider fern are good options to consider and pose no risk to your child.

Babies are little humans who are still learning to cope with the big world. Their bodies and immune systems are not yet fully equipped to fight dangers that adults can easily deal with. Being warned of potential risk factors and learning from others’ experiences is the best way to guarantee a happy childhood for your darling!