Transcript
FAMILY CHILD CARE
CONNECTIONS Volume 11 • Issue 4 • 2002
Sponsored by the Extension Cares Initiative
Keeping Them Clean: Handwashing Can Reduce Children’s Sick Days and Ours
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t’s that time of year again. You know the one—that time where the winter winds seem to not only blow in colder weather but also seem to have invaded us and the children in our care with coughs and runny noses. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, during a typical year individuals in the United States suffer from approximately 1 billion colds (typically occurring in fall and winter) and 35–50 million cases of the flu (typically occurring from November to March). Both colds and flu are more common among children. In fact, the average child suffers from six to 10 colds per year, as compared to two to four for adults. Children are two to three times more likely to suffer from flu infections than adults. The discrepancy in these figures appears to be due to children’s lack of resistance to infection and to their frequent contact with other children in day care centers and school settings.
along with providing care for children, it is very easy to forget or simply not take the time to wash one’s hands thoroughly. Children, as they do so well, watch and learn these same hurried practices, which are not effective in eliminating germs. So...what works? First, it is important to understand that our skin constantly makes oil, which stays on the surface of the skin. Germs that get on skin get trapped in this oil. Washing hands with soap and warm water is the best way to sluff the germs off the hands and prevent the spread of such germs. Remember that washing and drying hands appropriately makes a big difference... Use soap and warm, running water. Soap and warm water help the germs to be removed from the oil on the skin. The running water is important for the germs to drop away from the skin rather than being mixed around the skin, such as in a wash bowl.
Remaining healthy, whether you’re an adult or child, can often be a challenge during the cold and flu season. With so much contact between one another, it seems inevitable that children and adults will get sick. For many, this means not only lost days for children in child care but lost time at work for you. One of the best ways to reduce the spread of germs, viruses, and bacteria that cause sickness is to practice a simple activity: handwashing.
To help children understand the importance of washing their hands, try putting some glitter (“germs”) on their hands. Let them try to wash off the glitter in a sink or mixing bowl filled with water. Try this with and without soap. Then let them try again under a running faucet with and without soap. In this way, they can see how germs can stay on the skin without appropriate handwashing.
But... Running hands quickly under a few drops of cold water is not going to do the trick! With all of the responsibilities that come
Take at least 10 seconds to do the washing. Teach children to say their ABCs or a favorite song while washing their hands to make sure they wash them long enough. If you cannot get to a facility (continued on page 2)
Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating
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that has warm water, wash for at least 20 seconds in cold water. Wash all surfaces, including the wrists, palms, back of hands, between fingers, and under fingernails. To prevent the spread of germs, it is a good practice to use disposable paper towels or hot air dryers rather than cloth towels. Children also need to be taught when to wash their hands. This can be done by using “before” and “after” to help them remember. Wash hands before... • eating, • inserting or removing contact lenses, or • handling or serving food. Wash hands after... • • • •
using the restroom; blowing nose, sneezing, or coughing; touching an animal; handling garbage; or
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• touching things many people have handled (e.g., toys, objects passed around the classroom, etc.). What about antibacterial soaps and waterless hand sanitizers? Though antibacterial soaps can kill some germs, they do not kill all germs no matter how strong the soap is or how long it sits on your hands. Without appropriate handwashing, antibacterial soaps cannot be totally effective. It is still essential to spend enough time washing germs away from the skin. The same is true of waterless sanitizers. If you are in a situation where no running water is available, then certainly, it is better than nothing. Again, however, waterless sanitizers cannot kill all harmful germs, and it doesn’t get germs off your hands. Soap and warm, running water is still the best choice (Perdue & Hammack, 1998).
Adapted from Rice, C.A., & Pollard, J.M. (1998). Keeping Children Healthy. Health Hints, 2(6).
Buckle Up for Safety! Child Safety Seats: The Four Steps You Need to Know
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he following information will guide you in selecting and correctly using child safety seats.
Step 1: Rear-Facing Seats • Infants at least one year of age and at least 20 pounds should be in a rear-facing child safety seat. • Recline a rear-facing child safety seat at no more than a 45 degree angle. • The carry handle should be down and locked. • Keep harness straps snug, and fasten the harness retainer clip at armpit level. • Route harness straps in lower slots at or below shoulder level on rearfacing seats.
• Route harness straps in upper slots at or above shoulder level. • Place the child safety seat in the upright position. • Keep harness straps snug, and fasten the harness retainer clip at armpit level. • Keep the child in a five-point harness until 40 pounds. Step 3: Booster Seats • Belt-positioning boosters are for children weighing 40–80 pounds.
Step 2: Forward-Facing Seats • Children one year or more and 20 to 40 pounds should be placed in a forward-facing safety seat.
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(continued from page 2) • All booster seats must be used with a lap/ shoulder belt. • A booster seat allows the lap/shoulder belt to fit correctly; the belt should be low over the hips and upper thighs and snug over the shoulder. Step 4: Lap/Shoulder Belts • Most children over 80 pounds will fit properly in a lap/ shoulder belt. • A child is ready for a lap/shoulder belt when he/she can sit with his/her back against the back of the seat and his/her knees can bend at the edge of the seat. • Never put a shoulder belt under a child’s arm or behind his/her back. • Lap/shoulder belts should fit low over the hips and upper thighs and snug over the shoulder.
One Minute Safety Seat Checkup ___ Is the safety seat in the back seat? ___ Is the safety seat installed correctly and tightly in the vehicle with the safety belt? ___ Is the safety belt routed correctly? ___ Is the safety seat facing the correct way? (rearfacing for an infant under 1 year and less than 20 pounds or forward for over 1 year of age and over 20 pounds)? ___ Are the shoulder straps in the correct slot (rearfacing = lower slots; forward facing = upper slots)? ___ Is the child in the safety seat securely? ___ Shoulder straps snug? ___ Harness clip positioned at armpit level? ___ Straps not twisted? ___ Latch fastened? ___ If the child is over 40 pounds, is the child in the booster seat with lap and shoulder belt clicked? ___ Is an older child is a safety belt? Positioned low and snug?
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Child Safety Seat Installation Tips • Check child safety seat instructions and vehicle owner’s manual to correctly install the child safety seat. • To get a snug fit, put full weight on the child safety seat, pushing it down into the vehicle seat cushion while pulling the safety seat belt tight. The seat should not move front to back and side to side more than one inch when tugging on it at the belt path. • The safety belts of the vehicle must be used and locked to hold the safety seat firmly in place.
Never put an infant in the front seat of a vehicle when an air bag is present.
Children 12 and under should always ride properly restrained in the back seat of a vehicle.
Remember! • Never use second-hand child safety seats. • Replace a safety seat that has been involved in a crash. • In many states, it is considered best practice to replace a child safety seat if it is more than five years old. • Never use after-market padding products or safety belt adjusters. • Do not put a child with heavy clothing or blankets under harness straps. Instead, place a blanket or jacket over the child after securing the child in the harness system. Adapted from Child Safety Seats: The Four Steps; Guide to Selection and Correct Use. Rural Passenger Safety Education. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, The Texas A&M University System in cooperation with The Texas Department of Transportation.
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Cold Prevention: 10 Tips for Stopping the Spread of Colds
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hough there is no cure for the common cold, there are actions that can be taken to reduce the spread of colds. Here are 10 tips that may help prevent the spread of colds in your child care facility. 1. Wash hands. Washing hands literally rinses germs away. Be sure to use soap and warm, running water to best wash germs off the hands. Teach children to say their ABCs while washing so they keep their hands under the faucet long enough. 2. Don’t share cups. Using paper cups can be helpful to avoid spreading germs. Having a dispenser of small cups in key areas (e.g., kitchen, bathroom) can help children to make it a habit. 3. Use paper tissue. It is best to blow the nose on paper tissue and throw it away. It is important to keep the nose gently blown to rid the body of mucous; however, throwing the tissue away immediately is also important because it is a source of cold virus that can be spread by leaving it on a counter, desk, couch, chair, etc. 4. Don’t touch eyes, nose, or mouth. If exposed to someone with a cold, don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, which
Child Health and Safety Websites National Highway Traffic Safety Administration http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/ SAFE KIDS http://www.safekids.com Healthfinder Kids http://www.healthfinder.gov/kids/default.htm American Academy of Pediatrics http://www.aap.org/ School Age Kids, Food and Safety http://www.nncc.org/Health/sac11_kid.food.safe.html National Network for Child Care Go to: http://www.nncc.org. Select Articles & Resources. Next, click on Health & Safety link.
is where germs can be passed. Try to help the children in your care understand how germs can be spread in this way. Encourage children to wash their hands frequently. 5. Use disposable towels. In the kitchen and other areas, it is best to use paper or other disposable towels instead of cloth towels. Both bacteria and viruses can live on cloth towels for hours. 6. Keep toys clean. Toys often carry germs. Regularly wash children’s toys in warm, soapy water to kill bacteria and viruses. 7. Sneeze away. That is, sneeze away from others and into a tissue that can be thrown away. If you have to cover your mouth with your hands, be sure to wash your hands afterward. Model these behaviors for the children in your care. 8. Ventilate. Open windows when the weather permits because germs may remain stagnant in air. Also, keep the air moist to avoid nose irritation (a humidifier can be used). 9. Wipe up germs. Germs may rest on surfaces (up to three hours) that are touched a lot, such as door knobs, handrails, light switches, telephones, remote controls, and counter tops. Use a disinfectant as often as possible to wipe them clean. 10. Don’t smoke or allow smoking. Smoking can irritate the nose and lungs and drastically increase children’s susceptibility to colds. It’s best to make your environment a smoke-free one (New York Hospital – Cornell University, Department of Pediatrics, 1996). Adapted from Rice, C.A., & Pollard, J.M. (2001). Colds, Flu, and Other Respiratory Infections. Health Hints, 5(9). Family Child Care Center Connections Editorial Staff – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Stephen Green, Ph.D. Managing Editor Susan Lee, B.A. Design Editor
