FDA OKs first face mask for children

The FDA has cleared Kimberly-Clark's pediatric face mask designed to be worn by hospitalized children between the ages of 5 and 12 to reduce the spread of airborne respiratory tract bacteria, viruses and other pathogens.

There has been a push recently to develop more devices for children, as many available devices are designed for adults. "Children are not small adults," said Susan Cummins, chief pediatric medical officer at CDRH. "This pediatric face mask helps fill an unmet need for medical devices that are specifically designed for children's unique anatomy and growing bodies."

FDA-reviewed performance tests showed that air flow and filtering ability of the mask were appropriate for children. Adult supervision of any child wearing a face mask is strongly suggested.

- see the FDA's statement