Tiny Face Shields Protect Infants from Covid-19

Newborn face shield by Madhatter Knits

More U.S. hospitals are taking extra precautions when they discharge newborns from the maternity ward.

While the CDC warns infants and children under two years old should not be fitted with face masks, medical professionals are seeing benefits in temporarily putting a face shield on the newborn as they make the trip home from the hospital.

This idea started when photos from Praram 9 Hospital in Bangkok went viral. Because many parents do not have private methods of transportation from the hospital in Thailand, medical workers gave newborns mini protective face shields to temporarily wear during the trip home.

Now U.S. organizations are donating pint-sized face shields for newborns and preemies at local medical centers. Madhatter Knits Foundation is one of the nonprofits now making flip-up CDC-compliant face shields. The charity is currently donating to hospitals in the Los Angeles area, with plans to expand distribution as funds allow.

“Preemies and infants in general have always been especially susceptible to respiratory illnesses, due to immature immune and underdeveloped respiratory systems,” says Madhatter Knits’ Co-founder Christie Huang. “That issue is more critical now than ever with the ongoing pandemic.”

Huang says the miniature shields have unique features just for infants, including the ability to rotate the protective covering up for easy access to the baby’s face, detachability for ease of cleaning and memory foam cushions for maximum comfort.

In addition to face shields, Madhatter Knits has been donating Maternal Protection COVID-19 kits to expectant mothers, complete with hand sanitizers, gloves, antimicrobial masks and other PPE, donated by industry partners.