The C.D.C. has said that cloth face coverings should not be placed on children under 2, nor should they be used on anyone who has trouble breathing — but other than that, the agency has offered no advice about how young children should be using them. Further confusing matters, the advice to wear a mask is not a requirement, and President Trump has already said that he probably won’t follow the guidelines.

The C.D.C. suggests using face coverings in public where it’s difficult to stay more than six feet apart from other people, and especially in areas where the virus is spreading rapidly, like in New York City. So, is it crucial for my preschooler to wear one? And if so, could I convince her to wear it safely and properly?

To find out more, I spoke with pediatricians who specialize in infectious diseases and consulted the latest guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics. As I discovered, for parents of children who are 6 or under, much of what you decide will depend on where you live, your child’s personality and the places you frequent.

Children are less likely to get severely ill, so why do they need a mask in the first place?

On April 6, the C.D.C. published preliminary findings on pediatric coronavirus cases in the United States. According to the report, 2,572 cases occurred in children younger than 18, and those children were significantly less likely to become seriously ill from the virus than American adults were. They also appeared less likely than adults to develop the main coronavirus symptoms like fever, cough or shortness of breath.

These findings further bolstered the idea that children who become infected might have mild or undetected cases of the disease and could spread the virus to others in their families and communities.