With Delhi AQI at 500, These Everyday Parenting Mistakes Could Harm Children’s Health

When Delhi’s Air Quality Index touches 500, it officially enters the Severe Plus category — a level where even short exposure can trigger serious health consequences. While authorities suspend outdoor sports and issue advisories, many risks to children’s health now come from everyday parenting choices that seem harmless but aren’t in toxic air.To begin with, one of the most common mistakes that parents make is assuming that indoor air is automatically safe. Whereas, in reality, polluted outdoor air can easily seep in through the windows, doors or even ventilation systems. Cooking fumes, mosquito coils, dust and incense further degrade the air quality indoors. Without air purifiers or proper ventilation planning, children would be forced to continue

breathing harmful air with particulate matter even when they are sitting inside the house.

Another very overlooked issue is sending your kids to school or for tuition classes without proper respiratory protection. Cloth masks or loosely worn surgical masks do not make the cut and only offer minimal protection against PM2.5 and PM10 particles. Yet many parents either skip the mask altogether or don't ensure a proper N95 mask or use a loosely-fitted one, leaving the children exposed to heavy pollution during travelling. Many parents also underestimate the impact of “short outdoor exposure.” A quick walk, playing on the balcony, or running errands during peak pollution hours can still cause airway irritation, coughing, headaches, and fatigue. Children’s lungs are still developing, and their breathing rate is higher than adults, meaning they inhale more pollutants relative to body weight.Ignoring early symptoms is another risky habit. Wheezing, breathlessness, eye irritation, persistent coughing, nosebleeds, and usual tiredness are often brushed off as seasonal problems that parents often ignore. During Severe Plus conditions, where the AQI has touched 500, these can be warning signs of pollution-induced stress on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems and should not be ignored. .

Dietary neglect during high-pollution periods is also common. Children exposed to toxic air require strong nutritional support, including antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, adequate hydration, and foods high in vitamins C, E, and omega-3 fatty acids. Processed snacks and low fluid intake can worsen inflammation and reduce the body’s ability to cope with pollutants.Finally, many households delay medical consultation, waiting for symptoms to “settle on their own.” Doctors warn that early intervention is crucial during extreme pollution episodes, especially for children with asthma, allergies, or recurrent respiratory infections.When AQI reaches 500, normal routines are no longer safe routines. Protecting children now means rethinking daily habits, prioritising indoor air quality, monitoring symptoms closely, and treating pollution exposure as a serious health risk — not a temporary inconvenience.