Germs In Day Care Essay

The Ways Germs are spread in Day Care

Germs in daycare has been an ongoing problem for many years. I wondered, what caused them to spread among children so quickly. This question has been in the back of my mind for years. When the opportunity for this project was assigned, I thought this would be the perfect topic for me. I felt this research would benefit many people such as parents, teachers, daycare owners, the community as well as myself. Another factor in my decision making, was comprised of my grandson and niece who attends day care and preschool. These two children seems to keep catching various viruses.

My research prompted me to ask the question, does hand washing occur frequently? Research led me to a study by the Minnesota

Health Department, which states daycare teachers that helped their students wash their hands every morning when they arrived, and disinfected all area parents may have touch proved 50% fewer illnesses. (Minnesota Department of Health). The study also showed 305 Detroit students who washed their hands four times a day had 24% fewer colds and 51% less stomach upset.
More questions entered my mind such as, do staff report to work ill and spread their germs to the kids? Are employees sanitizing the equipment thoroughly before and after use? As I observed the teachers and children in the site I worked in, countless children came in the facility sneezing, coughing, and breathing on each other. The babies crawled around on the floor played with various toys, drooled on them, and passed them on to another child. I recall a play area in the middle of the room with lots of stuffed animals, which was well over utilized by the children. Although I desperately wanted to trash these stuffed animals, I was unable to do so. The teacher informed me the owner took the animal’s home and washed them weekly. “WEEKLY”!!!! Day after day, I would watch the children pull the toys around the room, bite them and another child would come along, pick the toy up and do the same thing. The staff would use Lysol to spray and clean the toys but it seemed no match for the germs. The way staff cleaned the day care, especially in the babies and toddler class, was not up to par. More needed to be done to combat germs and this class appeared as a germ buffet, all they could infest and inhabit.
Moms often brought their children to the facility with colds and sometimes fever because they had to work. My heart could barely take this each week, and I thought more needed to be done. I wondered, if anyone else noticed this or did they care? What about the parents? Could they not find anyone to watch their sick children? As a mother, I understand having to work and finding help with sick children, which led me to what methods are in place at the day care centers and schools, to help contain the spread of germs.
What are the teachers and parents doing to help? A good start is effective hand washing, a lot of germs can be stopped with a few simple steps. As parents, teaching our children to use hand sanitizer and properly covering their mouth when coughing or sneezing can help prevent the spread of germs to others. Teaching hand washing is vital in combating the spread of germs in schools, day care and our community. Another Minnesota school began using foam soap which resulted in a 75% increase in hand washing rates.
A study in HealthDay noted researchers from the University of Buffalo found that bacteria was on surfaces for a lengthy duration due to the “Biofilms” they formed, when infecting human tissues. The biofilms were high-level and more complex than other forms bacteria. “In all of these cases, we found that these pathogens (germs) can survive for long periods outside a human host,” Hankansson said, an assistant professor of microbiology and immunology in UB’s School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. (HealthDay 2014)
Strep throat, ear infections and colds are often found harboring in day care centers and schools.

These common illnesses can hang on surfaces including toys, cribs, and books for several hours after contamination. Even after the items are cleansed thoroughly per a new study. (HealthDay News) Children are often found in groups, which makes their risk of contracting germs extremely high. They also suck their thumbs, and rub their eyes which passes germs from one to another. These habits makes children at a greater risk in day care than those who are home schooled. Proper cleaning is imperative once a child becomes ill and come in contact with others.

The Minnesota Department of health provided five common ways germs are spread, which includes nose, mouth, or eyes to hands to others, hands to food, food to hands to food, infected child to hands to other children and animals to people. This is especially concerning in the day care setting because there are multiple children in contact with one another. Each of these germs are easily transferred to friends and family. The spread of these germs such as eye infections and the common cold are preventable by exercising proper hand washing. ("5 Common Ways Germs are Spread - Minnesota Dept. of Health",

2016)
Food preparers often spread germs from their hands to food by making meals with soiled hands. The germs are then passed on to children and staff who eat the food. Contamination can be avoided by food preparers, by making sure hands are washed after using the bathroom and before they cook a meal. Food to hands to food is another way germs are spread by handling raw meats and then preparing raw vegetable. When raw meat is cooked the germs are destroyed, however, the vegetables remain contaminated and then eaten by children and or staff. Hand washing after handling raw meats prevents the spread of these germs. ("5 Common Ways Germs are Spread - Minnesota Dept. of Health", 2016)
Viruses are spread to parents and day care workers from sick children with diarrhea due to no hand washing after diaper changing. Germs on the infected hands of the parents are then spread to others. It is vital that hand washing occur immediately after changing diapers to prevent the increase of bacteria. This is practice essential for day care workers who change many diapers several time a day.
Humans adore animals and often treat them as part of their family. Children particularly are overly affectionate with animals and love to pat them. Day care and school teachers often have class pets which are often times full of germs. Animals tend to carry germs, therefore, it is imperative hand washing occur after exposure. Proper hand washing after playing with animals will help prevent the spread of germs. Hence the need to ensure surfaces are well cleansed to avoid contamination.
Germs are spread through the air, direct contact and in-direct contact. Children in child care centers are easier to contract an infection than those who do not attend child care because babies and toddlers need a lot of hands on care. According to the National Library of Medicine, being around the lot of germs in day care may essentially improve your child's immune system in the future.
When sneezing it is natural to cover your mouth with hands but if you don’t wash your hands after catching your sneeze you are left with a hand full of germs. These germs are then passed on by direct and indirect contact with others. Scientists in Singapore used a giant mirror and high-speed camera, to find out how airborne transmission of flu viruses takes place. Scientist were able to witness a real-time sneeze from a person’s spray of tiny liquid droplets when coughing, sneezing, talking, or laughing. Testing was done in order to utilize the results for better guidelines in combating infection control. Their desire was to provide information to the infection control teams to settle a debate regarding which pathogens were airborne and if they were airborne, how substantial this course is compared to others, such as direct contact, said, team leader Julian Tang, a virologist and consultant with Singapore’s National University Hospital. It was discovered the flu virus can infect people by coughing or sneezing, however, they do not know much about how far the cough or sneeze travels or the volume of the air in which virus’s pack. ("How far do your sneeze and cough go? Experts study", 2016)
Day care facilities are at a great risk for illness, children often come to school ill causing germs to be passed around. Likewise, children in group settings come in contact with many others, so they also have a high risk of getting an illness from another child. Children in day care are at risk for illness because they have not developed essential defensive immunities to fight off infection. Parents should make sure immunizations are up to date. If your child is not feeling well inform your child’s teacher. The teacher should look for any signs or symptoms and let the parent know immediately. Parents should pick up their child right away which will help prevent or minimize the infection from spreading to other children.
Young toddlers love to hug, kiss, and share food with one another. Sharing food presents a possibility for infection. Drooling is very common with toddlers and if the child is ill and gives his or her class mate a portion of their snack, germs can quickly be ingested. During my observation in child care facilities, numerous children shared their snack with others. One by one, if that child displayed any ill symptoms, a couple of days later more students became ill. Teachers have to be cautious and quick when it comes to infants in day care, germs are so easily passed on.
It is vital parents take time and review their day care cleaning practices. When entering the day care if the child is infected due to non-hand washing then those germs are passed on. Parents must teach their children to thoroughly wash their hands after using the restroom and before eating a meal. Gastroenteritis is a common infection at child care facilities, which causes vomiting and diarrhea. Bacteria is quickly and easily spread among children due to a lack of hand washing after using the toilet.
Giardiasis is another infection shared within day care. Symptoms to watch for are stomach cramps, gas, and diarrhea. Day care teachers and parents can help stop the spread of these germs with consistent sanitation practices. Hand washing aides in preventing the spreading of ear infections, sore throats, runny noses, and colds. These bacterial infections seems to run rampant in schools and day care settings.
When children are plagued with germs, knowledge of hand washing, sanitation, and the proper way to administer medication is of the utmost importance in germ prevention. Young children are unable to maintain complete control of their bodily functions. Accidents occur frequently in toddlers and without hand washing germs can be transmitted among the children. Even with the use of gloves teachers should practice hand washing after diaper changes or cleaning.
Hand sanitizer is not a substitute for soap and water. However, sanitizer may be used if hands are not soiled. If hands are visibly soiled, soap and water should be utilized before touching another child or person. This is important when dealing with children, to keep down the spread of common classroom infections.
Germs spread to others in doctors’ offices through children touching toys and then other sick children. Parents should be on the lookout for toys in the waiting areas of local clinics. These toys are shared among the children and bacteria is passed from one child to the other. We have learned bacteria can last on surfaces for hours after contamination. Therefore, handwashing as well as the use of hand sanitizer is very important.
In conclusion, although I enjoyed working and observing in day care facilities, I found that germs will remain for longer periods of time even with the proper cleaning. I learned though infection is easily passed from one child to another hand washing can help cut down on the spread of germs. It is also important parents help their child’s teacher combat the spread of germs by knowing the centers policies and procedures and abide by them. Parent can obtain a list of people to keep their children when they are sick. If their child is not feeling well inform the teacher so he or she can monitor the child symptoms. A little education on hand washing, proper cleaning and working together goes a long way.