# Newborn Baby and Pellet Stove - Health Concerns?



## md2002 (Mar 27, 2013)

Hello,

I became a 1st time dad last Tuesday. I have been meaning to post but have not had a chance. 

I was wondering if there is any reason to be concerned about having a newborn in the same room as the pellet stove. As a 1st time parent I may just be over thinking things but I wanted some opinions. If I have to; I can certainly shut the stove off for the rest of the season. I realize where not doctors  but I was just looking for some opinions. Is there anything to be concerned about with having a newborn in a room with a pellet stove?

Thanks!


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## Hoot23 (Mar 27, 2013)

Congrats to you. No advice for your concerns though.


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## Swedishchef (Mar 27, 2013)

First of all, congratulations! Becoming a dad for the first time is a nerveracking experience and the best time of your life. I have a 5 month old and a 2.5 year old so I know all about your worries.

A friend of mine is a pediatrician and he told me that the biggest concern would be allergies from dust. He said if the dust levels are not too high it should be fine. If they are, you can buy an air filter. But according to him, contact with pollutants among the very young is associated with higher rates of chronic illness such as asthma later in life. Lots of studies prove this (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10024219 for example). I wouldn't panick or anything like that but I would recommend trying to keep the dust down a bit. We all survived when all houses had shag carpets but I wouldn't keep my kid's crib beside where I store and burn wood.

Andrew


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## IHATEPROPANE (Mar 27, 2013)

md2002 said:


> Hello,
> 
> I became a 1st time dad last Tuesday. I have been meaning to post but have not had a chance.
> 
> ...



My only minor concern would be the pellet dust that you may or may not have when dumping in pellets......


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## gbreda (Mar 27, 2013)

Congrats on the new addition to the family ! !


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## DexterDay (Mar 27, 2013)

Congrats. Raised (raising ) 2 kids so far (my son was just ver 5 when I got the Quadrafire) around fire.My daughter is about to turn 2 this May and my son is 11. 

As for dust, I never had a problem. I try to "sift" most pellets that go upstairs. But this year I have gotten lazy. Never had any problems with any allergies with my kids.

Never used gates, never had to yell at them because they were to close. Taught them to respect the "Hot" when they were young and they naturally stayed away. As my Son gets older, he wants to help with both the pellet and wood stove. It's all about respecting the fire. 

Congrats on the new addition Dad. Here is to a wonderful and happy life with your children. Cheers


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## boo boo (Mar 27, 2013)

Congratulations. I to was a first time dad  March 19th except he was born in 1986 now 27 wow .

Something my mom told me when he was born and I had many questions. The baby is like you If you feel cold he feels cold if you are hot he is hot so I would say the same thing. So treat it as the way you feel as the way the baby will feel it.


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## moey (Mar 27, 2013)

congrats... we have a newborn as well this winter we spend the entire day in the room with the stove I'm a stay at home Dad. My only suggestion is to make sure your vacuum is working properly and not exhausting ash somehow when you clean. As for pellet dust I don't do anything special the really dusty pellets MWP I don't dump out the last two cups and at some point will sift them and then dump them in.


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## mikesj (Mar 27, 2013)

As long as it's working properly and you can keep the dust down when you load it and clean it, I can't imagine you would have any problems. I did install a gate around mine- my youngest is 4- but I took it down this year. My stove is in a pretty central location in my house and the exterior of it gets hot enough that it could cause a serious burn. You won't have to worry about that until next season though. 

Congratulations!


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## MasterMech (Mar 28, 2013)

Don't know about pellet stove specifically but no problems with my son (who's 14 months now) after 2 seasons of wood-burning.

I too survived carpets and a woodstove when I was young.  But we bought a gate to protect my son.

Congrats on the new little one!


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## Brokenwing (Mar 28, 2013)

Congrats on the new little one !  Like stated above keep the dust down, and maybe get yourself a air purifier.  Other then that no worries!


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## Phil Do's fire. (Mar 28, 2013)

md2002 said:


> Hello,
> 
> I became a 1st time dad last Tuesday. I have been meaning to post but have not had a chance.
> 
> ...


Congrats on the new baby and becoming a dad. lot's of fathers here for advice


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## Lousyweather (Mar 28, 2013)

congrats as well! 4 kids here, all raised with a P61.....they AND all their vestigal twins LOVE the unit (  ). In all seriousness, was never an issue.....they learned the thing was hot, no burns. As for dust, wasnt an issue either....and my oldest had asthma (just prior to getting the stove, so, wasnt the stove).

A bit of advice that will likely knock this thread off the tracks- we all want whats best for the kids, but you also cant raise them in an antiseptic environment...if you try, you'll go nuts! We put those damn cabinet locks on our kitchen cabinets, which I had a hell of a time opening, and the kids would just walk up and open the things right up with brute force....they dont know the subtleties of "gentle", and cant appreciate the time it takes to fix broken stuff....


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## woodsman23 (Mar 28, 2013)

look for a less dusty pellet and always try to clean stove with vacuum outside the house if possible. kids are tough and you should have no problems...


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## abrucerd (Mar 28, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> Taught them to respect the "Hot" when they were young and they naturally stayed away.


 
Ha! That's what my son calls it too... "The Hot"

Though, that stems from the one time he accidentally touched the glass.  That's a lesson he learned on his own... he respects The Hot now and knows not to get too close.


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## md2002 (Mar 28, 2013)

Thanks for the advise guys! It appears I shouldn't worry to much but I will watch the dust.

Being a dad is pretty cool, I love my baby!


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## Swedishchef (Mar 28, 2013)

It's great! My 5 month old is sitting on me as I type this...It's a life changer for sure!

I never put a gate around my wood stove. I just explained to my oldest one (when he was about 1) that it was really hot and kept my eye on him. When it is going they can feel the heat and are smarter than you think. Now, at 2.5 years old, I let him wander around it without keeping a hawk's eye on him (I do check...but he knows not to touch now).


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## glenc0322 (Mar 28, 2013)

Congratulations on the new born and as far as a concern I agree with most on here it is the dust that you should worry about. I would sift the pellets before putting them in the stove to cut down on the dust and use a vacuum with a hepa filter when cleaning the stove. and try to keep the new born out of the room during your cleanings and when you dump the pellets. Probably over kill and not needed but would rather be safe then sorry. Hate to see a baby with a respiratory infection when it could be avoided. I would also put a screen around the stove once he/she starts crawling/walking and again congrats on the baby they change your perspective on life FOREVER


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## Jack Morrissey (Mar 28, 2013)

Swedishchef said:


> First of all, congratulations! Becoming a dad for the first time is a nerveracking experience and the best time of your life. I have a 5 month old and a 2.5 year old so I know all about your worries.
> 
> A friend of mine is a pediatrician and he told me that the biggest concern would be allergies from dust. He said if the dust levels are not too high it should be fine. If they are, you can buy an air filter. But according to him, contact with pollutants among the very young is associated with higher rates of chronic illness such as asthma later in life. Lots of studies prove this (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10024219 for example). I wouldn't panick or anything like that but I would recommend trying to keep the dust down a bit. We all survived when all houses had shag carpets but I wouldn't keep my kid's crib beside where I store and burn wood.
> 
> Andrew


X2, and of course have your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors...


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## briansol (Mar 28, 2013)

Make sure your exhaust is tight and sealed.
get multiple monoxide meters in the house, at least 1 per floor.
teach the kids to load fuel and clean it for you as they grow up


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## Lake Girl (Mar 28, 2013)

Congrats Dad! We have six kids (surprise package of twins on the tail end). My oldest daughter's first word was "hot" due to the wood stove we had... no burns just respect for the stove. As mentioned above "sterile" environments aren't the best either. The only caution I would add is that if you or extended family members have allergies or asthma, a little extra caution may be needed (air filter). Genetics play a big part...

Enjoy the wonder and the chaos


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## Lousyweather (Mar 28, 2013)

Lake Girl said:


> Congrats Dad! We have six kids (surprise package of twins on the tail end). My oldest daughter's first word was "hot" due to the wood stove we had... no burns just respect for the stove. As mentioned above "sterile" environments aren't the best either. The only caution I would add is that if you or extended family members have allergies or asthma, a little extra caution may be needed (air filter). Genetics play a big part...
> 
> Enjoy the wonder and the chaos


 
and if you think its chaotic now, just wait!


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## fenwayfan81 (Mar 28, 2013)

Congrats, my 8 month old sleeps in her pack and play right in the same room at the stove. She loves it has been taking naps there all winter. I wouldn't have any concern just don't put the baby to close.


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## Aquion (Mar 28, 2013)

I had my stove installed last November. At the time, my two sons were 26 months and 2.5 months old. We haven't had any problems. The house has been nice and warm all winter long, and the kids are as healthy as can be.


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## will711 (Mar 28, 2013)

md2002 said:


> Being a dad is pretty cool, I love my baby!


Congrats


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## Augmister (Mar 28, 2013)

Way to go Dad! Best wishes and enjoy these days.... they fly right by.

HUMIDIFIER. Agree with all the dust concerns, but you may need to operate a cool mist humidifier. Check with your pediatrician. If the air is too dry, your baby will feel it too. I run mine all winter and just can't deal without it. I always check house humidity, more so than ambient temperature. I also have a air cleaner running 24/7 for dust purposes. Buy good quality stuff that will last you many seasons. Stock up on all the needed filters, too! Hope this helps you.


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## smwilliamson (Mar 29, 2013)

congrats...it will be sometime yet before the kid is big enough to actually crawl around and get burned...here are some basics

bumpers on the hearth corners are a good idea for now
Don't hold your baby and tend the stove at the same time
Keep pellets out of your baby's mouth..very much a choking hazard
Consider installing an OAK if you have a newer home with a second floor
Carbon Monoxide detectors on each floor
Fire extinguisher within 20 feet of the stove, fully charged
Replace your smoke alarm batteries every Christmas Eve to nearly reduce all possibilities that your kid isn't homeless and gift-less on Christmas
A baby gate for the hearth
Install a humidifier
Your stove has a slot on the upper right where a peg is put in to hold the cast door closed during shipping, find a piece of wire to put in there as a safety on the outer door. Babies could try to pull themselves up bu the door and have it swing open

Noidea if anyone has offered up any of these suggestions so I'm most likely repeating..


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