How to Prevent Swine Flu in Child Day Care

Problems regarding break out news of the AH1N1 influenza strain more commonly known as the swine flu has continued to rise to international levels. As of the month of May, five thousand carriers of the swine flu have been reported by monitoring agencies such as the World Health Organization. Devastating news recently hit the racks as a Southern Dakota Daycare was ordered to close down because of an insurgence of Swine Flu in the facility.

The influenza virus is often contracted when an unwilling victim gets exposed to a surface, object or carrier that can transmit the virus. The flu can also transmit by touching of one mucous membranes such as your mouth and nose, without properly disinfecting your hands or removing bacteria. Parents and child care facilities must have a good understanding that children should be kept protected and watched over to avoid a contamination in a child care environment.

Children and their daycare provides should often wash their hands with soap and water, prior to a meal after using the bathroom facilities or after an outdoor activity Preventing the spread of swine flu is similar to preventing any kind of disease within the child care setting, there are several tips on how to secure your child care environment and protect children from the spread of germs and disease.

Practice good handwashing
Remember to encourage the use of soap and water to wash the children’s hands every after activity that exposes them to dirt such as playing eating and using the toilet. If water and soap is not available in the area, you can use a child safe hand sanitizer.

Child care providers should wash their hands on a regular basis especially when they have to handle infants as they are more prone to infection. Hand washing should be done before and after feeding, before cleaning a Childs face and changing diapers as well as after helping kids use the toilet.

Teach the children to wash their hands for a good 20 seconds normally by teaching them a song that they can sing to with that approximate time frame to ensure that their hands are thoroughly clean.

Supervise the children when using an alcohol based hand sanitizer. Remember that the smell of rubbing alcohol is hazardous to infants and should be avoided at all costs. Do not use alcohol based disinfectants for sensitive children.

Rinse appropriately every time you wash your hands as well as the children’s to make sure that all dirt and germs are washed away.

Ensure that the fingertips and surface in between the digits are inspected and cleaned to rule out harmful germ contamination

Adequate supplies of cleaning products is necessary
Always remember that the amount of available supplies to clean and sanitize the environment and yourself, are important and should be placed in strategic locations of the daycare facility.

For the diaper changing facility, make sure that there are a good set of disposable gloves that you can use and a proper dispensing mechanism since gloves and soiled diapers can be considered as bio hazard.

Remember to use products that have the seal of the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA such as registered disinfectants that have been tested to be child safe.

See: How to start a childcare service