The Role of Daycare Hygiene in Preventing Illness
Before you had your little one, you probably daydreamed of all the lovely things your future offspring would bring home to you after a day of learning and exploring at daycare: Mother's Day cards, creative finger paintings, and other works of art that would fill your home. The last thing on your mind was likely all the bugs and illnesses they would bring home, and probably just as often as the cute crafts.
Most daycare centres are vigilant about disinfection and prioritising hygiene, but daycare is inevitably a breeding ground for illness.
Your child will most likely bring home one of these icky things at some point, and the best thing you can do is be prepared.
Here are a few things you can expect to encounter:
Gastro Bugs: Symptoms and Management
Gastroenteritis, commonly referred to simply as "gastro," is an illness that affects the digestive tract. It is highly contagious; once one child in the centre has it, several will soon be affected.
The primary concern with gastroenteritis is dehydration, particularly in infants and young children.
What Are the Symptoms of Gastro Bugs?
Symptoms of gastroenteritis include abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, fever, generalised lethargy, and malaise.
How to Manage Gastro Bugs Effectively
Typically, gastrointestinal illness must run its course because it is viral in origin. Please keep your child hydrated and ensure they get plenty of rest.
You can also administer over-the-counter medicines to help with fever and nausea.
Skin Infections and Rashes: Symptoms and Care
Unlike many other daycare illnesses, skin infections and rashes are not always contagious. A variety of viral infections can cause them and include things such as:
- Fifth disease
- Hand, foot and mouth disease
- Impetigo
What Are the Symptoms of Skin Infections and Rashes?
Symptoms of the above skin infections and rashes can be similar to those of other illnesses on our list, including fever, lethargy, and rhinorrhea. However, you will also notice a rash appear on various parts of their body. Blisters might also accompany some.
How to Care for Skin Infections and Rashes
Avoid touching the rash and sores, and encourage your child to refrain from scratching them, if possible. Wash all clothes and bedding, and bathe your child regularly with a clean washcloth and fragrance-free soap.
Acute Respiratory Illness: Symptoms and Supportive Care
This is among the most common illnesses in children. Most babies and children will suffer from several each year.
Acute respiratory illnesses encompass infections of the upper and lower respiratory tract. Common respiratory tract illnesses include bronchitis, influenza, whooping cough, croup, and pneumonia.
What Are the Symptoms of Acute Respiratory Illness?
If your child is coughing, sneezing, and has a runny nose, they probably have some acute respiratory illness.
Supportive Care for Acute Respiratory Illness
Treatment will vary based on the identified illness. Common treatments include rest, maintaining adequate hydration, and antibiotics as prescribed by your physician. When your child has an acute respiratory infection, it is crucial to monitor their symptoms, especially temperature, as this may indicate that the illness has progressed.
Worms: Symptoms and How to Manage Them
Nobody likes the idea of a worm living inside their body. But because these worms, pinworms or threadworms, produce microscopic eggs, they can easily spread from person to person.
What Are the Symptoms of Worm Infections?
Worms inhabit the intestines and around the anus, so symptoms may include an itchy bottom, irritability, loss of appetite, and disturbed sleep.
Managing Worm Infections
A specific worm treatment should be administered to the child and everyone else in the family.
Head Lice: Symptoms and Treatment Options
Daycare is a prime breeding ground for head lice, with blankets, napping cots, and endless dress-up clothes surrounding your child.
What Are the Symptoms of Head Lice?
If your child is experiencing regular scalp itching, it is probably time to check for head lice.
How to Treat Head Lice Effectively
You can purchase a conditioner and comb treatment, or a chemical treatment, at your local pharmacy.
Strep Throat: Symptoms and General Care
Strep throat is an infection caused by the group A Streptococcus bacterium and is common among kids ages 5 to 15.
What Are the Symptoms of Strep Throat?
Your child may report a sore throat and difficulty swallowing. But how you differentiate strep throat from the common cold is the presence of a sore throat, but the lack of a runny or stuffy nose.
General Care for Strep Throat
Strep throat can persist if left untreated and, in rare cases, can progress to a more serious condition. Your child should see a doctor and be tested so that antibiotics can be administered.
Prevention is Important: Tips for Reducing Illness Risks
The best thing you can do for your child and others is to help prevent the spread of germs.
Here are some preventative measures we recommend you encourage your child to adopt:
- Wash your hands regularly:
Handwashing should be practised regularly and performed before meals, after using the restroom, after messy activities, and at any other time as needed.
- Cover your mouth when coughing:
A tissue is ideal for this, but is not always accessible, so encourage your child to practice covering their mouth when coughing. Instead of their hand, it is also good practice to cough into the crook of their arm or their shirt sleeve.
- Don't drink after people:
Kids don't fully grasp the concept of germs, and drinking after the child next to them typically doesn't faze them. However, this is a fast and easy way for germs and illnesses to be spread. Please encourage your child to stay focused on their food and drink during mealtime.
Seek Medical Advice: When to Consult a Healthcare Professional
As with most common illnesses, rest, hydration, and medication, depending on the condition, are the most effective treatments. It is always recommended that you consult a physician when your child is sick to identify the illness so you can properly treat it.
At 13CURE, serving patients round the clock is our passion. When your child comes home with something from daycare, we want to help them get on the fast track to feeling better.
Our medical team in Australia will come straight to you in the comfort of your own home to give your child the type of care they need. Find out more about us and how we can help you today.
