- There is no reason why you can’t use a fireplace while having a baby, as long as you take common sense precautions
- The main concern with using a fireplace is the smoke, but if the room is well-ventilated, it should be safe
- There are studies that suggest that using a fireplace can increase the risk of respiratory illness in infants, but these studies are usually based on wood-burning stoves, which are used more frequently than a fireplace
- Learn how to childproof your fireplace here
We actually asked our pediatrician about whether we should take any precautions when using our wood burning fireplace (other than the obvious) and she kinda looked at us like we were crazy.. and probably the only ones to ever ask that.
We have fires burning all day sometimes and it’s never been an issue. Though, we’ve never experienced excess smoke in the house so I would probably be concerned as well if that had happened.
But I think under normal circumstances it isn’t anything to be worried about. Smoke is more of a cumulative health risk, I think… so long-term use is the real culprit. We have a bunch of air purifiers in our house (we live in a fire-prone area) that tell us the air quality and there’s been no difference when we have a fire going in the fireplace.
Of course, smoke should not be filling the room though. Cooking on our stove effects the air quality in our house much more.
If your home fire burning system is well maintained and that your baby isn’t placed close to the source, I don’t believe there is any greater risk than usual. Be sure that levels of carbon monoxide don’t become too high; you may install carbon monoxide detectors in several locations in your home, including near the home fire and near your baby’s sleeping space, if you want to be sure.
For your information, there are studies that show that children will suffer from cough or wheezing during the months of the year that home fires are in use. However, fireplace use is not highly associated with respiratory illness in infants because they tend to be used less frequently, while wood stove use has an increased incidence of cough and respiratory illness in children.
Basically, it is not dangerous to have an indoor fireplace with a baby, but basic precautions are to be considered more attentively if you want to ensure your baby’s safety
Few things in life are as comforting as a warm fire on a cold night. And even fewer things can create such a cozy atmosphere as a fireplace. But what do you do if you have a new baby in the house?
The answer, according to most experts, is yes. I asked our pediatrician about it and she said that as long as we used common sense, there was no reason why we couldn’t continue to enjoy our fireplace. However, she did caution us to be aware of the smoke.
Smoke is the main concern when it comes to using a fireplace with a newborn. If there is too much smoke in the room, it can be dangerous for both you and your baby. However, as long as the room is well-ventilated, you should be fine.
There are some studies that suggest that using a fireplace can increase the risk of respiratory illness in infants. However, these studies are usually based on wood-burning stoves, which are used more frequently than a fireplace. As long as you take precautions to ensure that the room is well-ventilated, you should be fine.
My own story
As soon as we found out we were pregnant, one of the first things we worried about was whether or not we would be able to use our fireplace safely. We knew that smoke was the main concern, and we didn’t want our baby to be in any danger.
Luckily, our pediatrician told us that as long as we used common sense and made sure the room was well-ventilated, there was no reason why we couldn’t keep using our fireplace. She did caution us to be aware of the smoke, but said that under normal circumstances it wasn’t anything to worry about.
We had always enjoyed having fires in the fireplace, and didn’t want to have to give them up just because we had a baby. So we took all of the necessary precautions and continued to enjoy our fires throughout the winter. Of course, there were times when the smoke got a little too intense, but overall it wasn’t a big deal.
And now that our baby is a little older, she loves sitting in front of the fireplace and watching the flames dance. It’s become a cozy tradition for our family and we wouldn’t want to miss it for anything.
Hi, my name’s Eugene Duke and I love sitting by my fireplace reading a book and sipping on an adult beverage. Do you have a fireplace in your house? I’ll help you figure out the best type and style of fireplace for your home.
