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Do you want to take a hands-on
approach to keeping your family healthy this winter? "One of the
ways we can help prevent the spread of colds and flu is to teach our
children to wash their hands," advises Patti Kieffer, RN,
infection control specialist at St. Louis Children's Hospital.
If an entire classroom gets ill this fall or winter, we can't blame it
on Mother Nature. Getting wet or cold from being outside will not give
your child a cold. In fact, there are more than 200 viruses that cause
colds and dozens more that cause upper lung infections. Being in an
environment that allows the viruses to survive causes much of the
spread of colds and flu.
Colds and flu viruses thrive in cold, dry air. When temperatures drop,
we tend to stay indoors in close proximity to others, making it much
easier for viruses to be passed along from one person to another. Many
viruses live on the surface of desks, toys, pencils or just about
anything else a child touches every hour of every day. "That is
why hand washing is the most basic and most important way to protect
the entire family from colds and flu," Kieffer says.
Here are the most important times to wash your hands:
Before:
- touching or serving food
- performing first aid
- touching your eyes, nose or mouth
After:
- using the rest room
- diapering a baby
- coughing or sneezing
- wiping anyone's nose
- playing with pets
- handling raw meat, poultry or fish
- handling garbage
"Many people wash their hands, but few do it correctly," Kieffer says. To ensure you are doing a good job, she recommends you follow these steps:
1. Wet your hands.
2. Apply soap (liquid soap is less messy, but bar soap is fine if
it is in a dish that drains well.)
3. Lather and wash for at least 10-15 seconds. When teaching
children to wash, have them recite their A,B,Cs or sing a little
jingle. Pay attention to all surfaces of the hands, especially
between fingers, under nails and under and around jewelry.
4. Rinse and dry. If using a public rest room, turn the faucets
off with a paper towel, if available.
If hand washing is done correctly, both viruses and bacteria (germs)
will go right down the drain and out of harm's way.
There are other things we can teach our children to help avoid passing
along germs to one another.
Encourage children to use tissues -- not their sleeves or bare hands
-- to wipe their noses and eyes. Of course, those tissues should be
thrown away immediately. Discourage children from sharing water
bottles and other drinks. If soap and water are not readily available,
Kieffer encourages the use of waterless hand sanitizers. "But
nothing takes the place of good old-fashioned soap and water,"
she says.
Pink Eye Precautions
Pink eye is another common infection that can be a problem for
families. The medical term for pink eye is conjunctivitis. It is an
infection of the eye that can be caused by either a virus or bacteria.
It can be very contagious, particularly viral conjunctivitis. If a
child in the family develops conjunctivitis, the eye will be red,
irritated and will itch. Teach the child not to touch the affected eye
with bare hands, but to pat gently with a tissue. The child with pink
eye should use a designated bath towel and wash cloth. Pillow cases
should not be shared and should be washed frequently until the
infection subsides.
"Hand washing is again a very important intervention to help
prevent the spread of this infection from one eye to the other and
from one person to another," Kieffer says.
Many times, when a child is diagnosed with an eye infection, the
pediatrician will prescribe eye drops. "When applying the drops,
take care not to contaminate the tip of the dropper and definitely do
not share the drops with other children in the family," Kieffer
says.
Critters in the Comb
What fourth-grade girl doesn't like to use her best friend's comb to
freshen up after recess? While the practice may be a common bonding
ritual among tribes of school yard kids, it spells disaster for
parents and school officials fighting the spread of lice. These creepy
crawlers hide in the recesses of combs and brushes and the inside of
hats and hoods. Before you can say pediculosis (the technical name for
lice), every kid in class has it, leaving parents scratching their
heads about what to do. "Once a family deals with a case of head
lice, a child will never want to share a comb, brush or hat again. It
can be a traumatic experience," Kieffer says.
When the nurses at St. Louis Children's Hospital receive calls
pertaining to an infectious disease or what to do about head lice,
they often refer to Your Child's Health by Dr. Barton D.
Schmitt, MD. Answer Line nurses consider this guide about symptoms and
treatments of common illnesses a must-read for families. Pick up a
copy today and find out more about how to keep infectious diseases
from invading your home year round.
