A pediatrician near Moscow asked not to catch snowflakes in her mouth or lick icicles.

Oksana Tsaregorodtseva, head of polyclinic No. 5 "Putilkovo" of Krasnogorsk Hospital, pediatrician, warned that it is unsafe to catch snowflakes in your mouth and lick icicles.

In an interview with Radio 1 on Thursday, February 5, she noted that snowflakes and icicles only seem clean, but in fact they contain various particles from the atmosphere — dust, microbes, bacteria, car exhaust products, traces of animals and birds, as well as salts and road reagents. She stressed that the color of the snow does not indicate its safety.

The specialist noted that accidental ingestion of several snowflakes into the mouth is usually not dangerous, but intentionally eating snow or licking icicles can lead to stomach upset, respiratory tract infections and oral injuries due to sharp pieces of ice. According to her, there is also a risk for children to swallow foreign objects or chemicals.

The doctor added that snow outside the city is no safer than urban snow, as it may contain traces of wild animals with bacteria. According to her, snow on roads and paths contains microorganisms, soil particles, and meltwater does not undergo purification and may include pathogens.

The expert recommended explaining to children that snow and icicles are not suitable for eating. She suggested a visual way to collect snow on a cotton pad, wait for it to dry and show the child the remaining dirt to demonstrate that snow can be a source of germs.

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Irina Volgina, Associate Professor of the Department of Therapy at the Medical Faculty of the State University of Education, said on February 4 that eating snow could lead to severe poisoning. According to her, snow can accumulate toxic exhaust gases, heavy metals, road reagents and bacteria, and icicles may contain contamination from roofs, food debris and waste products, writes RT.

On January 20, Candidate of Chemical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Inorganic Chemistry named after A.N. Reformatsky RTU MIREA Andrey Dorokhov warned about the risk of intestinal infections when eating even pure-looking snow. The chemist noted that even outwardly clean snow in a forest or park can contain bacteria, viruses and parasites from the soil or from animals. According to him, the use of such snow is comparable to drinking untreated water and can lead to intestinal infections. 360.ru .

On January 15, doctor Alexey Shishkin called snow removal a full-fledged outdoor workout. It involves the main muscle groups: legs (quadriceps, buttocks), back and body (back extensors, abs, obliques), as well as the shoulder girdle and arms.

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