Following a study on the link between Vicks and mucus production, it was found that Vicks is not safe to be used on children, especially for those under 2 years of age. It was found that Vicks VapoRub could cause breathing difficulties.
Parents have been rubbing Vicks onto the nostrils and even chest area of kids who suffer from cold or are feeling unwell. This has been done for generations, even when I was a kid, I had that ointment rubbed on me when I was ill. Little did we suspect that it could be harmful.
You can read the full article about the effects of Vicks VapoRub here at USAToday.com. The gist of the test and results are as follows:
A longtime mucus researcher, Rubin decided to look into a possible link between inhaling VapoRub and breathing difficulties. He studied the airways of ferrets, which, more than rodents, have airways similar to humans.
First, he added a high dose of VapoRub to laboratory dishes containing windpipes that had been removed from ferrets killed for other research. Those windpipes secreted 63% more mucus than windpipe specimens that had not been incubated with VapoRub, Rubin and his co-authors report today in the journal Chest.
There are still some who believe that Vicks is harmless and does not pose such a serious threat to breathing difficulties. It is not a perfect finding, therefore people should not abandon the use of Vicks just like that. Whatever you believe, just be cautious and aware of this and use your best judgement when needing to apply anything on your kids, or even consuming anything for that matter. It helps to take things in moderation.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
If anything, i’d recommend rubbing vicks on the base of the kids’ feet instead, this helps to relieve some symptoms but isn’t directly going to the airwaves.
Vicks is mostly petroleum jelly anyway, so I’d recommend switching to natural alternatives to Vicks which aren’t so chemical heavy.
I’ve read about applying Vicks at the feet before and it sure is a better way. I agree with you too about using natural remedies instead of the chemical-filled products in the market nowadays.