# Are Wood Stoves Safe for Infants?



## KermitII63

I'm about to move to a yurt with a wood stove as the main source of heat. My family and husband's family are very nervous and keep telling me wood stoves are not safe for babies. My mom in particular is very concerned about particles in the air, and keeps telling me babies get asthma when exposed to the particles that wood stoves create. Is that a legitimate concern? DS is 7 months old...There is another home I could move to that doesn't have a wood stove, but I really liked the yurt...I just don't want to do anything that could compromise my baby's health.


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## lotus.blossom

I wouldn't let it change your decision to move to the place you like. But, anecdotally, the couple of children I know with asthma do have wood stoves. And my ds2 had bronchiolitis all fall/winter and we have a woodstove. I don't think its a coincidence....... but we have no choice but to heat with wood. I'm hoping his lungs are better next year.


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## butterfly_mommy

My aunt has raised 5 babies in her home that was only heated with a wood stove and none of them have lung or asthma problems. We do not have a wood stove but live down town in Toronto and heat with a forced air gas furnace and DS has had bronchiolitis twice last year in the spring and fall.

The yurt sounds lovely


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## sbgrace

I believe, based on research I did, that it does raise risks of asthma in a child just like any constant exposure to air irritants would. I think asthma is a combination of factors and certainly not every child exposed to wood heat is going to develop asthma. I think you have to weigh the benefits vs. any perceived risk. There is quite a bit of research (and thoughts..both direction) out there on this topic and that might help you in making your decision.

One consideration for me would be if there is a way to restrict the babies access to the stove--potential burns would scare me more than the air quality I think.


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## pumpkinhead

If the woodstove has a proper chimney/flue and is properly vented and you are careful to open windows every now and then to exchange the air, I don't see that there is a risk. There isn't anymore risk from a wood stove in terms of particulates than an oil or electric furnace provided it has a proper flue and is properly vented.

Some anecdotal stuff: I grew up with a woodstove as my family's main source of heat. I do not have asthma. My children spent the first years of their lives in a house with 2 wood stoves. They do not have asthma. In fact, they are rarely ever sick. My kids have had abx only once each in their lives, both for strep throat.


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## JBaxter

I was raised in a home with a wood stove as the main heat source. Me or my 3 other siblings have had not asthma issues. Hundreds of years wood was used to heat homes. I wouldnt think twice about putting one in if I lived in an area/type of home that was built for one.


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## Megan73

http://www.lungusa.org/press-room/pr...nter-heat.html


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## claddaghmom

I grew up in a wood stove household. They still have it. No one ever got burned, although one time my mom tripped on the edge of the bricking and broke her ankle.

As for wood particles and smoke...I'm sorry but I must be confused...a good stove should be sealed tight...that's how you get radiated, efficient heat? And if you open the flue before tossing more wood in, the amount of "smoke or wood particles" coming into the house is IMO nil. But I only have direct experience; it's not as if I ever academically researched this. Something just sounds...dumb about this topic sorry.


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## AnalogWife

My brothers and I were raised with woodstoves, no asthma. My DS (almost 3) has known no other heat in the home other than woodstove, we spend most of our time in a yurt-sized open room in northern new england, no asthma. My DS is healthy as a horse, actually, I attribute it to EBF.


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## AAK

We have a wood stove--no problems at all. A properly vented wood stove should be safe. If you are worried, have it inspected. I like wood stoves better than fireplaces because of the tightly closed door. I don't worry about sparks jumping out or anything. We also keep a stove thermometer on top of it so that we are burning in a good range. Smoldering wood can build up creosote. We LOVE our wood stove so much. I hate when we have to actually use our furnace. I would also hate to live without one.

But, do invest in a proper safety gate to go around the stove. My kids know it is hot and to not go near, but this is added security for me.

Amy


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## AAK

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Megan73* 
http://www.lungusa.org/press-room/pr...nter-heat.html

From the article, it sounds like it could be a problem for people who already have asthma, but it didn't say anything about CAUSING asthma. That said, (and now that I have read the article) I still totally love my wood stove. Our house never smells smoky or anything, but we are "smart" burners. I can see how it would affect outdoor air quality, but indoor? But, our stove is a 2005 stove and the article does mention stoves needing to be 1995 or newer.

But, again I would just get it inspected, make sure the door seals aren't leaking, and that it is properly vented.

Amy


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## Tizzy

We have a woodstove and have heated the main portion of our house exclusively with it since DS1 was born - we have a propane stove in the kitchen.

The kids are VERY good about staying away, unfortunately it's location is not conducive to putting up a gate around it. DH had more allergy and breathing problems when we lived in his parents house that was much newer and heated with natural gas.


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## Katie T

With a improperly installed chiminey or cold back draft you can get smoke in your house. But If you know what you are doing you should not get smoke/particles in your house. We have a wood furnice and it isn't air tight, (the door is) but not around the ash pan or front thermostat. We have had problems with smoke pouring out due to improper (professonal) installation.

Since we have fixed it ourselves we haven't had any problems. My kids have no problem with asthma no do I and I have had wood heat my whole life.


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## janinemh

I have asthma and I have lived in a yurt with a wood stove for the past 6 months or so. My asthma has actually been BETTER here than when we lived in a house. My son shows no signs of developing asthma.

One thing to remember about yurt as well--they are not sealed tight like a house. So if any smoke does escape the stove for some reason, it will leave the building more quickly than in a tightly sealed structure.

Happy yurting. They are such a pleasant structure to live in


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## mamadelbosque

I've never heard before, ever. I've lived almost my whole life in a house heated exclusively with wood (Ok, so we have a couple electric heaters to supplement when we leave...), and neither me, nor my brother nor my kids (ds1 - 3, and ds2 7 months) have any breathing problems.

I honestly don't see how woodstoves are anyworse than buring oil or gas, but whatever. And, really, if your getting smoke/fumes in your house from your stove (gas, oil, wood, coal, whatever) then something is *wrong*!! Your house should *NOT* smell like smoke, ever!!

As for the burning problems, they sell screens/gates to go around stoves - we have two, one for each stove in our house.


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## hram

Im so glad to see this. We are moving in our yurt this year and have met some discouraging comments. The wood stove was one of my concerns. But I want to make sure its warm enough too.


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## TheGirls

I grew up in a house heated by wood, with my father smoking in the house and in the car, and neither my brother nor I have any lung issues whatsoever. Even so, I don't let my dad smoke around my toddler, but I have zero problems with her being in homes with woodstoves. Many of the homes we visit regularly (friends & family) are heated with wood, and I've never seen a correlation. I know a few people with asthma, but as many of them come from gas or oil heated homes as wood heated homes...


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## stephbrownthinks

I grew up in a house with only a wood stove for heat. My parents kept a pot of water sitting on top of it to act as a humidifier. I never had any respitory issues/ Also my 2 sisters and I managed to grow up without ever burning ourselves even though there was no railing/fence/barrier around it. Good luck!


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