IPOH: The use of face masks among children aged 5 and below while attending classes is discouraged as it could pose a safety risk, said senior consultant paediatrician Datuk Dr Amar Singh.
Dr Amar, former Paediatric Department head at Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital here, said children at that age, especially those who could not speak fluently or had health problems such as asthma, might have difficulty with wearing masks for a long period.
"The question is, can these young children wear face masks for a long period while in the classroom?
"They may be able to wear a face mask temporarily.
"Children with health problems such as asthma or heart disease are not recommended to wear a face mask for an extended period of time as there is a fear that they will experience shortness of breath. It is more worrying if they are not yet good in communicating their problems," he said recently.
He was commenting on the rules stipulated by several childcare centres and kindergartens, which required children to wear masks during the school session that would begin tomorrow after the closure since March 18.
According to Dr Amar, who is National Early Childhood Intervention Council advisor, the use of face shields would be more appropriate for children who could understand and follow instructions.
"This (face shield) is not as good as the face mask, but it is not distracting, easy to breathe with and the teacher can see the children's face."
He said teachers needed to use the device regularly to prevent saliva drops touching students.
On the use of hand sanitiser, Dr Amar said there was no problem for children using the liquid even though it contained alcohol as it was one of the options to kill bacteria and viruses, apart from regularly washing hands with water and soap.
"Some parents are worried about having their children using hand sanitiser containing alcohol, which is really not a problem.
"Hand sanitiser without alcohol content do not guarantee that they can kill germs, bacteria or viruses," he said.
Consumers are advised to use hand sanitiser with 60 to 80 per cent of alcohol content as anything higher is less suitable due to its fast drying properties, as well as causing dryness to the skin. - BERNAMA