Scented candles are great for enhancing your decor, filling your space with fragrances, setting the ambiance for a bath, and so much more. So it really is a no brainer to just light one up every time the opportunity arises. Well, you should stop and think twice next time you decide to do so.

Meghan Budden learned about the dangers of scented candles the scary way . The New Jersey mom noticed black dots in her infant son Jimmy's nostrils while she was nursing him. She attempted to clean it, but the dark specks remained.

She then recalled burning two scented candles the previous night for about six hours. She took a look at the packaging and noticed the fine print warning: "Do not burn more than three hours at a time."

That's when it hit her.

Meghan soon realized that the candles produced soot that spread throughout the room in which Jimmy was in, so he without a doubt had breathed some in.

The particles are very tiny and go unnoticeable, so it's very easy to inhale them in. Not only could the toxins cause illnesses, they could also lead to other serious health complications, such as "damage to the brain, lung and central nervous system, as well as cause developmental difficulties," as per Anne Steinemann, an environmental pollutants expert at the University of Melbourne.

Currently, there are around "20,000 premature deaths in America each year" attributed to soot, according to Cashins & Associates. Experts recommend trimming candle wicks regularly and only lighting them for short periods time to prevent soot from forming.

Thankfully, Meghan's quick thinking saved her son's life and he is now a healthy 1.5-year-old! Kudos to Meghan for warning other moms about the potential dangers of burning scented candles indoors, especially around young children.

Share this warning with anyone you know that uses scented candles. It could save their lives!