Spring is in the air. Plants bring life into your bedroom. But parents who are considering having their baby's bedroom decorated with fresh flowers and plants, the idea might be dangerous and threatens the baby's health, warned Li Xianfeng, associate professor from College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, China Agriculture University.

According to Li, babies, more so than adults, are sensitive and easily become allergic to fresh flowers and plants. Even worse, an allergy to pollen might give rise to asthma. Carbon dioxide that is released by plants during the night might also lead to breathing difficulties.

There may also be a problem if parents don't consider carefully the kind of plants they have in the home. For example, stalks, leaves and blossoms of big leaf hydrangea, evergreen, forsythia, etc. may cause a baby to develop a skin allergy. Thorns on cacti can easily hurt a baby's skin and cause skin irritation.

Poisonous plants are a big threat to a baby's health. Accidentally eating rosebay may cause vomiting and lead to a coma; narcissus stalk may cause acute stomachache or diarrhea. Plants with a heavy fragrance may inhibit the sense of smell and cause a loss of appetite.

In short, the simplest and safest suggestion is not to place fresh flowers and plants in your baby's bedroom.

(Source: Beijing Broadcast TV Newspaper April 9, 2007 translated by Chen Ran)