Keep your kids free of viruses with these health tips

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Let's be honest: toddlers are not famous for their hygiene. They do not distinguish what happens in the mouth (dirty fingers and money do not put them in the right phase), and they do nothing wrong for 20 seconds without rubbing their hands.

Unfortunately for the parents, when the time comes to set up a daycare, these habits lead to the exchange of many germs. "In the first year, your child will go to a nursery or kindergarten, most of the year it will be sick," says Dr. Tanya Altmann, pediatrician in Calabasas, California, and spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics. Even generally healthy children can expect eight to twelve illnesses per year. "You could go home with something every two or three weeks."

Why are little children so prone to the disease? In addition to the lack of hygiene, your immune system is not particularly robust. This means that the new germs they inevitably find in daycare (there are 200 different cold viruses) can make them sick faster than their ABCs. "When children grow up," says Altmann, "they usually become more resistant to a variety of common organisms."

It is impossible to completely prevent your child becoming ill, but you can reduce the risk by washing your hands frequently, washing everything you go to school regularly (such as a stuffed animal) and exercising caution. , If your child's illness is contagious, think of a fever, cough or rash. Stay at home until the symptoms disappear.

And while you may be tired of collecting viscous tissue, your child will get sick with an advantage: it helps to develop antibodies that boost immunity, which, with a bit of luck, means fewer colds next year

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Is your daycare clean enough?

What to ask to determine if the hygiene of an establishment depends

How often do you clean your class?

The cleaner a kindergarten, the fewer germs there are. For this purpose it is important that kindergartens regularly clean, disinfect and disinfect the classrooms. (During cleaning, it is washed with soap and water, germs are reduced and destroyed when disinfected.) According to the standards established by the National Association for Early Childhood Education, certain areas such as food preparation surfaces and changing tables should be disinfected after each use, while others, such as door handles, require daily disinfection. Make sure your facility complies with the protocol and also ask how frequently used surfaces and items, such as As toys are cleaned. Some methods may not be powerful enough to kill pathogens.

What measures does the faculty take to prevent the spread of disease?

Hand washing is important to prevent the spread of germs. Make sure that providers clean their teeth well and often. Use common sense: If a place seems careless or something does not seem to hide (for example, providers do not wear gloves when changing nappies), you should not expect to get angry when it comes to promoting good health ,

What is your policy regarding sick children?

In a quality setting, guidelines are set on when your child should stay home, such as fever, diarrhea or conjunctivitis. The guidelines vary depending on the daycare. However, common practice is that no fever has occurred 24 hours before returning to school. Most importantly, make sure your daycare service requires updated vaccines for all participants.

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