Please don't laugh, how can I get my 10 mth old to wear a facemask?

[JJsandcat]

We are travelling into Europe in 4 wks and will be wearing surgical masks reg. swine flu. However, our LO chews everything that copmes within her reach. How can I get her to wear that damn thing or is it a lost cause and I should just surrender to fate?

Also, can you give Tamiflu suspension to a baby her age?

What coutry are you going to?

You can't force a ten month old to wear a face mask, it will be a loosing battle! and face masks don't actually help prevent catching swine flu anyway.

Germany via few days stop-over in UK.

Thanks OMBD, I feared so. It's a struggle changing her nappy so I suspect I won't get anywhere with it, she'll probably chew a hole in the mask

A face mask won't stop you getting swine flu. It might stop you passing it on to someone else though!

have you got swine flu?

like seeker says, face masks only stop you passing it on, they don't offer protection from it as the most common way of it getting into our bodies is from hand to mouth.

why would even do that! Just wash your hands alot and use something like first defence foam afterwards to provide continuing protection.

The only people that wear masks (mostly in Japan) are the ones that already have it.

Can I ask your reasons for wanting to do that?

I work in the NHS and we have to have specific mask tests to make sure that the ones we wear fit properly to give us effective protection.

I really don't think that you have any chance of getting a 10 month old to wear a mask, let alone one that fits well enough to offer any protection.

Are you related to Michael Jackson??

I think the general face masks offer 2 minutes protection so a complete waste of time imo. Aren't you worried about her getting caught in the strings?

You can't.
Don't even try

Message withdrawn

Basic handwashing and good hygiene is the best defence. Masks need to be properly fitted to work; the paper type just stop you infecting others via sneezing, not the other way round.

You can get a Tamiflu suspension for babies; DS had it at 8 months. But he was infected, and there are theoretical risks to Tamiflu in under-ones, which is why iirc it's off-license as an infant prescription. In most cases so far swine flu is milder than bog standard winter flu - lower risks on all fronts - we've all had it, and my mother has an immune system cancer, the baby was very small, and I'm asthmatic. We're all fine, like almost everyone else infected. Frankly you are far, far more likely to come to harm in a car en route.