Oil based paints with infant in home

Have a question about indoor air quality safety with an infant in the home.  We will be staying with my parents for a little while during my husbands transition out of the marine corps.  During that time, my parents will be doing a little bit of remodeling in their home which will include re-painting the entire house, installing new flooring, repairing sheet rock, etc.  

Some of the paint they will be using will be oil based.  Is this safe for my 3 month old infant to be around.

If not, how long should we stay out of the home before it is safe to bring infant back in?  Thank you!

[Philip D Parks, MD, MPH, MOccH, FACOEM]

Hello,

With remodeling activities, there are many possibilities for exposures to dust and vapors. It will be important to keep the areas of the house that have been painted very well ventilated with fresh air.

It is difficult to provide a definitive answer regarding when it will be "safe" to enter the areas after painting. For example, even after the paint is dry, there continue to be low levels of vapors emitted from the freshly painted surfaces.

Recommendations:
The infant should not be present in the home if there is demolition occurring, adhesive being used to install flooring, or when paint is being applied or is drying. (an exception could apply if you have reliable ways of sectioning off the areas of the house where the work is occurring).


~•~ Dr. Parks

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. The information presented in this posting is for patients’ education only. As always, I encourage you to see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.