Q&A: Are Vicks Vapopads Safe For Babies? (Here’s What We Know)

Read on to know if Vicks Vapopads are actually safe for babies
Learn the negative & positive effects these could have on kids
PLUS: Find out about Vicks Vapopads and how they are used
BONUS: Discover natural congestion solutions for your baby

Are you planning to use a Vicks Vapopad for your baby at home?

Have you heard about their use in helping baby feel comfortable and want to try it out too?

Do you want to find out whether or not there are any side effects that could be associated with Vicks Vapopads?

If you are looking for any kind of information related to Vicks Vapopads and how it may affect your baby, you can take a look through this article where we are exclusively talking about using Vicks Vapopads for babies and whether or not they are safe for your little one.

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How do you use Vicks VapoPads?

Do you need a vaporizer in order to use them?

Does it have to be a Vicks branded humidifier/vaporizer or are they compatible with other brands too?

What are Vicks VapoPads, Exactly?

Are Vicks VapoPads safe for infants or small babies?

Treating your baby’s congestion in a natural way

Conclusion: What effects, both positive and negative could they have on your little one?

BONUS VIDEO

We talk a bit about how to use them and what they are, as well as whether or not it is safe for babies and if it is suitable to be used for smaller children. If any of this is the kind of information you are looking for, do read on.

How do you use Vicks VapoPads?

In order to use Vicks VapoPads, they must be added in the appropriate location of your humidifier device, as the steam will heat up the VapoPad and express the scent along with the released vapor.

Remove the VapoPads from the package.
Place one (1) VapoPad into the VapoPad strip holder, sometimes located at the top or at the side of the humidifier. Depending on your humidifier device, there should be a pad receptacle wherein the VapoPads can be placed in order to be effectively steamed/activated by the device.
***NOTE: VapoPads are not meant to be placed into the water of the humidifier, unlike Vicks VapoSteam.
Once you have properly loaded it into your preferred device, the menthol vapors that are present in each pad will start to release its scent once the humidifier begins to steam.
As a result, it may help to ease your congestion and open up your airways, which can help you breathe easier and make you sleep better as well.
More than one pad may be added to increase vapor/scent potency. This is NOT recommended for small infants and babies.

Do you need a vaporizer in order to use them?

Yes, in order to use the Vicks VapoPads you have to steam them with a vaporizer or humidifier product.

Does it have to be a Vicks branded humidifier/vaporizer or are they compatible with other brands too?

The specific usage instructions for the Vicks VapoPads will be mentioned specifically within the product packaging, so be sure to read up before anything. VapoPads will really only require heat/steam to release their scent and be used effectively, but it would still be best to use them exclusively with other official Vicks humidifier/vaporizer products approved for VapoPad use.

In some cases, you might have to use it only with a humidifier or vaporizer that is from the same brand, which in this case is Vicks. You may have to use it with a Vicks Waterless Vaporizer, with a Vicks Humidifier, with select Vicks Inhalers or with other Vicks Waterless Plug-Ins.
In some cases, you may be able to use the Vicks VapoPads with almost any brand of waterless vaporizer and plug-in.
As a result, it may help to ease your congestion and open up your airways, which can help you breathe easier and make you sleep better as well.

What are Vicks VapoPads, Exactly?

The Vicks VapoPads are a kind of patch or pads that come infused with different types of scents that have a soothing and aromatherapy kind of effect.

These are essentially used to help you feel relaxed and help you calm down during sleep time, so that you have an uninterrupted and relaxing restful sleep.
Using these during your sleep time is considered to be helpful because they help to ease your breathing and make you feel more comfortable, especially if you are suffering from congestion.
They can also sometimes give you relief from regular cough and cold.
The Vicks VapoPads are infused with various scents, such as lavender, rosemary, cedarleaf oil, eucalyptus and so on.
Most of these pads are made in such a way that each pad will last you for about 6 to 8 hours, which means you can use one pad for one sleep cycle.

Are Vicks VapoPads safe for infants or small babies?

Are the Vicks scent pads safe for baby? If you are planning to use the Vicks VapoPads for your small baby under the age of two (2), or even if you are planning to use it somewhere where a small baby will be present, it is definitely NOT a safe thing to do.

Using Vicks products like Vicks VapoPad in the presence of your baby could actually irritate their very sensitive airways.
As a result, it can also increase the production of mucous in your little one, which can further increase or worsen the congestion.
In case of babies who are really small, such as newborns, infants, or toddlers around the age of 2 years, the airways are still not fully developed and are still very small. As a result, this could lead to a significant amount of problem for your little one and make it difficult to breathe comfortably.
If your baby is already suffering from a cough or cold, or is already suffering from congestion, the little one’s airways will most likely already be inflamed. In such a situation, adding the vapours from the Vicks VapoPads may only worsen the condition and make things even more difficult.

Treating your baby’s congestion in a natural way

If you want to play it absolutely safe and make sure that the remedies you use to ease your baby’s congestion will not have any side effects, you may try these:

Give your baby a warm chicken or vegetable soup. Having this will help to soothe the inflammation that your baby may be suffering from and can also reduce any pain or discomfort. The warm steam from the steam will also help to open up your baby’s airways and clear out the blocked nose.
Before you give the soup, make sure it is not too warm and is appropriate for your baby to have.
If your baby has recently suffered from any health issue, or if this stuffiness or congestion is due to any type of infection that your baby is already suffering from, you may first speak to your baby’s paediatrician and see if there is any need for a medication.
You can run a warm bath and sit with your baby in it. The warm steam will clear out the congestion in your baby’s chest or nose.
If your baby is having difficulty in sleeping, you can warm a bit of almond oil or coconut oil and gently massage it on your baby’s nose. This will help to loosen any hard mucous that may have formed inside your baby’s nasal passage and will help to get it out from the nose. This can help to make your baby breathe easier.

Conclusion: What effects, both positive and negative could they have on your little one?

Some paediatricians may actually give you the go-ahead to use a Vicks VapoPad for your baby, especially if your little one is more than 2 years of age. Whether or not there are any positive effects, it is highly possible that using a Vicks VapoPad or any such similar product for your little one, especially for those who are under 2 years of age, could cause a lot of negative effects. Most of the ingredients used in these products are very strong essential oils or ingredients such as menthol, camphor, eucalyptus oil and so on. Using these scents for such young babies could lead to various kinds of health complications, and in severe cases may also lead to seizures.

If you think your little one is suffering from congestion, you should first speak to the baby’s paediatrician and ask for their suggestion. If you really want to use a Vicks VapoPad for your baby, it is best that you first check about the same with the doctor and go as per what they suggest.

BONUS VIDEO

See Vicks VapoPads in Action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qjw977-BLLE