New face masks are designed for kids' smaller faces

Protecting children from bacterial infections—as well as protecting sick adults from children's germs—can be challenging. After all, it's not as if covering their mouths when they sneeze or cough comes naturally to most kids. And the face masks used by adults aren't intended for children, whose smaller faces require something different. To address this problem the FDA has cleared a face mask designed specifically for kids.

The Kimberly-Clark Child's Face Mask was recently cleared by the FDA for use in children ages 5-12. According to a corporate spokeswoman, the single-use device is meant to be used in health care settings like hospitals, medical waiting rooms and exam rooms, with children who may be at an increased risk for infection. These include children who are already sick, may be displaying flu-like symptoms, are immunocompromised, or may be visiting family members in a hospital.

"The FDA focused on two main areas," said Meg Candelario-Pena, product manager for facial protection at Kimberly-Clark Health Care. "It's not just shrinking the mask, but about fitting anatomy properly. The other is behavior. Children behave differently, which requires instructions for use in the packaging."

The masks, which feature Disney characters, cover the child's nose and mouth to provide a protective barrier.

"The mask has been cleared by the FDA for use by children ages 5-12," said Elizabeth Claverie-Williams, a senior microbiologist and branch chief in Infection Control Devices for the Food and Drug Administration. "These are for sick children."

Deciding which children should wear these masks and when is meant to be the decision of health-care providers, not parents, said Kapil Panguluri of the FDA. "Health care officers determine which patients should use the mask. A parent may not know the underlying condition."

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—Merri Rosenberg