There are a wide variety of children's masks on the market, with many categories and varying prices. So, how to choose a safe, effective, quality mask? What kind of masks are suitable for children? How to intuitively judge from appearance, material, etc.?

In 2020, China issued the recommended national standards for the Technical Specifications for Children's Masks, which set specific requirements for materials, wearing and use. The Technical Specifications for Children's Masks put forward 19 major performance indicators, including safety, protection, comfort and other aspects, with safety as the main premise. The standards regulate children's protective masks and children's sanitary masks. While clarifying that the filtration efficiency of particulate matter is not less than 95% and 90% respectively, they also put forward higher requirements on the selection of raw materials for manufacturers.

01

What masks should children choose for protection?

For protective masks for special groups of children, only GB/T 38880-2020 Technical Specification for Children Masks is applicable. This standard is a recommended national standard officially issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation on May 6, 2020, and will be implemented immediately after its release. The Technical Specification for Children's Masks applies to masks worn by children aged 6 years and above to 14 years and below. Children's masks are divided into "children's protective Mask (F)" and "children's sanitary Mask (W)" according to their performance; According to the size of children's head and face, it is divided into small (S), medium (M) and large (L).

02

How to quickly distinguish child protective masks from child hygiene masks?

In accordance with the standard requirements, the type and code of children's masks will be printed on the package, such as Children's Protective Mask (F) and Children's Sanitary Mask (W). In addition to the logo, a preliminary intuitive judgment can also be made from the appearance and structure of masks. For example, children's protective masks must be three-dimensional design, while children's sanitary masks are mostly flat.

03

Are children's masks less protective than medical masks?

GB/T 38880 children's masks have no lower filtration performance and protective power than medical masks. For example, children's sanitary masks have better filtering performance than surgical masks and lower resistance, making them safer and more comfortable for children to wear. The filtration performance of children's protective masks is the same as that of medical protective masks (N95 grade), and the resistance is significantly reduced. Children can take comfort and protection into consideration by wearing cocoa properly. The biggest difference between children's masks and medical masks lies in the "hemodialysis" test. Medical surgical masks and medical protective masks need to pass the hemodialysis test, which mainly protects doctors from blood splashing into the nose in the face of invasive conditions, while ordinary consumers do not have such use scenarios. In addition, formaldehyde and color fastness are also specified in the standards for children's masks. More conducive to the protection of children's physical and mental health.

04

What are the most important differences between children's masks and adult masks?

Children are in the stage of physical growth and development, and their head and face size and respiratory system capacity are smaller than those of adults. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the ventilation performance of masks. Consumers should pay special attention to the respiratory resistance and other parameters marked when purchasing, do not only pay attention to the protective performance and ignore the use of feelings, to avoid wearing a feeling of boredom.

Compared with adults, the important difference between children's masks is that they pay more attention to reducing the burden of heart and lung. A safe mask requires a strong "heart", i.e. a melt-blow cloth that is low resistance and efficient enough. While making clear requirements on the filtration efficiency of particulate matter and bacteria, the GB/T 38880-2020 Technical Specification for Children's Masks specifically states that the expiratory and inspiratory resistance of children's protective masks should not be higher than 45Pa. Children's sanitary masks require ventilation resistance of no more than 30Pa. In terms of wearing comfort, the adjustable mask strap is recommended.

05

What should I pay attention to when wearing a child mask?

a) Children with dyspnea are not advised to wear masks. If necessary, follow the doctor's advice or wear other suitable respiratory protective equipment.

b) When using the mask, clean up the mask packaging materials and other items unrelated to the wearing of the mask.

c) Children should wear and use masks under the care of adults, and caregivers should observe and teach children to wear masks correctly. Children should not play or do moderate or above intensity exercise while wearing masks, and should not remove the breathing valve and its internal parts; In case of respiratory discomfort, skin irritation and other symptoms during wearing, take off the mask promptly and seek medical attention if necessary.

d) The mask should be kept dry, avoid getting wet during use, and should be replaced in time when necessary.

e) It is not recommended to reuse masks after washing.

f) Used masks should not be exchanged with others.

tips for Buying children's Masks

When purchasing masks, the appearance should be checked, there should not be sharp tips or sharp edges that can be reached, lace-up masks should not be purchased, and respirators equipped with respirators should be firm and not deformed.

According to the standards, the packaging of children's masks should indicate safety warnings, such as children should not play or do moderate or above intensity exercise while wearing masks, and should take them off in time if symptoms such as respiratory discomfort or skin allergy occur during wearing.

GB/T 38880-2020 Technical Specification for Children's Masks has been jointly adopted by Beijing Institute of Labor Protection Science, Beijing Institute of Medical Device Inspection, China Institute of Standardization, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Inspection, Testing and Certification Group Co., LTD., Guangzhou Customs Technology Center, Donghua University, key enterprises and research institutes. Experts in personal protection, medical and health care, ergonomics, textile materials and testing have been organized to conduct a large number of studies on the physical characteristics of children of different ages, such as head and face size and respiratory system, and to design a mask index system and testing methods suitable for children's characteristics.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, the standards were drafted as required by the State Administration for Market Regulation, which accelerated the compilation process, enriched and improved the standard framework system, and were finally completed after extensive public attention and consultation.

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