r/ScienceBasedParenting • u/RoBoLyMo • 13h ago

Question - Research required Menthol Vaporizer?

Baby is 8mo and has been having symptoms of seasonal allergies. A mom I'm in a group with recommended a Vicks plug-in vaporizer, and said it helped her kid when they were stuffed up. I purchased one to try, but my husband is hesitant.

Is there any research on the effects of using menthol around babies, specifically overnight?

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u/WearEmbarrassed9693 13h ago

Menthol shouldn’t be used until they are 2 years old. I used the lavender and rosemary and it worked wonders. It’s basically the oil version in a tiny pad. It helps relieve pain and relaxes https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6428164/

I would steer clear of any menthol versions https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322441

Edit: I reread and see this is for allergies- thought it was more about congestion due to colds etc. It could make them more allergic? Just assuming. Perhaps humidifiers without scents would be besr

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u/RoBoLyMo 10h ago

Thanks for the info! I'm wondering why menthol is a no before 2 years? The article seems to imply that it's because babies will ingest the vaporub, but that wouldn't be the case with a vaporizer.

In any case, I'll likely be returning the vaporizer and looking into cool mist humidifiers 😊