How can daycare facilities expose kids to illnesses?

Today, given all kinds of illnesses surrounding us, sending your toddler to a daycare center is nothing less than a nightmare. Toddlers have low immunity levels. Even if your baby is healthy at its age, they are more prone to collecting germs. There are 5 different types of contagious diseases.

The most common illnesses at daycare centers are The common cold, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Gastroenteritis, Conjunctivitis, and hand-foot-mouth diseases, which we have heard about at daycare centers. 

There are 6 basic prevention steps can help minimize the risk of catching infections that are hand washing, hygienic food storage, clean surfaces, sanitizing kids’ play areas, up-to-date vaccinations, and nutritious food. 

Take a sigh of relief, moms and dads; find out how daycares make your child sick. We give you 6 preventive steps to make sure your child stays healthy. Scroll down to read more.

5 Most Common Illnesses in a Daycare

As natural as it is for a child to acquire any illnesses, it is concerning for parents because the process occurs so frequently that you begin to believe your child is on medication all the time.

1. The Common Cold

Colds are anticipated at any time of the year. It is the most common type of illness, and symptoms include congestion, sore throat, coughing, and a low-grade fever.

General colds are easy to treat by taking lots of fluids and resting if taken note of quickly.

If you think your child is not recovering from the cold and the illness worsens, take your child to the doctor and get checked.

2. Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis is also known as the stomach bug. The symptoms of gastroenteritis are vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

Vomiting and diarrhea can cause dehydration in a child, so an easy way to keep your kid hydrated is by feeding them a lot of water and electrolytes.

When the child starts to recover from this illness, you no longer have to be fed on the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast). Just give them a regular diet.

Usually, gastroenteritis clears up in a week, but if your child has a high fever, do consult with your pediatrician.

3. Conjunctivitis 

Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, can be caused by a viral or bacterial infection. You can quickly tell if someone has pink eye if the eye is red, itchy, or teary. Your child can be distressed or uncomfortable most of the time as conjunctivitis, viral or bacterial, can occur with the symptoms of a cold or sore throat.

Conjunctivitis is a contagious disease that can spread quickly by contacting direct or indirect fluids draining from one child’s eye if it is not taken care of properly.

Pink eye infection is treatable with eye drops and good hygiene for your child by keeping their hands clean and sanitizing all areas your toddler may have touched to prevent the illness from spreading. The child should not return to daycare until recovered. These diseases do not just end here; I have 2 more lined up for you.

4. Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease

Hand, foot, and mouth diseases are other common among children under five. Most children have mild symptoms for 7 to 8 days.

It may be because of this disease if your child has difficulty drinking water or swallowing food with a high fever. It causes mouth sores and small red blisters on the tongue. The same spots show on the skin, along with some rashes. These blisters can be painful, and they may want to drink cold water.

Make sure the hands are always clean and not touching other surfaces. If your child has had a fever for more than three days and symptoms do not improve within ten days, do not hesitate to see a doctor.

5. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

Respiratory syncytial viruses enter the body through the eyes, nose, and mouth. It spreads quickly in the air when somebody sneezes around you, already infecting someone. It’s a common illness that presents itself at a daycare center.

Typically, the symptoms are milder than those of a common cold. It’s a seasonal illness that affects 97% of children by the age of 2 years. Although it’s not a life-threatening disease, if it worsens, see a doctor as soon as possible.

How Can Infection Spread in an Early Setting?

It’s not easy to juggle work, home, and kids simultaneously, and then add that a sick child will require all of your affection and care.

Common diseases are a horror story for many daycare centers. Most experts say that these illnesses can result in a strong immune system in children. They help the body fight all kinds of seasonal germs.

Hand Hygiene

A daycare is a place full of kids and their snotty noses. There is a high chance that your toddler will get an infection that leads to an inevitable part of life and struggles, bringing more worry for parents.

Germs can spread through something as simple as a toddler touching a contaminated toy and then wiping his nose, which is why parents of children in daycare may feel like life is a never-ending cycle.

Space Limitation

Due to staffing or capacity limitations, a sick child is often unable to be cared for by daycare workers in many facilities. In contrast, in others, the child can be kept warm and allowed to rest as needed in a different portion of the room where they have previously been exposed to the other kids.

A sick child who is excluded should wait to get picked up in a place where no contact should maintain with people who have not yet been exposed to their infection.

Keep the child under close observation and stop the spread of their disease across the facility; it is frequently advised not to move to another area.

A space for the child to lie down while still given a staff member may be available if the child only needs minor care for a condition that doesn’t call for exclusion. For kids with minor illnesses who are unable to engage in activities or need more attention than the staff can offer in the child’s standard care setting,

6 Steps to Prevent the Spread of Infectious Diseases

As we have discussed above, the ways germs spread in a closed building are some preventive steps to avoid any disease that may cause harmful effects on your toddler’s health.

Dear parents, you must take care of hygiene and food when your toddler is home; the same goes for daycare center management.

1. Hand Wash

The staff should take adequate measures to clean their hands before touching any other child. Hands and pacifiers get contaminated, so discourage your toddlers from sucking on them. It can be a route for germs to enter the body.

Daycare centers should keep paper towels to prevent bacterial transfer instead of using the same towel for every child.

2. Food Storage

The food that arrives from home to the daycare center must be adequately stored, ensuring that milk is also labeled and kept in a cold place; otherwise, it can grow bacteria and lead to bad health.

Staff should clean any place selected to store food in case of accidental food spillages. Caretakers should immediately discard extra or rotten food to keep the air fresh and unpolluted.

3. Clean Surfaces

Toilet sinks and sinks for preparing food or handwashing should be separate. It will help in stopping the bacteria from spreading on other surfaces. Maintaining cleanliness is essential in daycares, or they can turn into a hub of germs.

Diaper changing stations should be separate on the side of the room or in an unreachable place for the kids.

4. Vaccinations Are Up-To-Date

Nowadays, there are vaccinations for almost all kinds of diseases. Toddlers should get the latest medical help as they have the least amount of immunity and stability.

According to doctors, vaccinations play a vital role in keeping children safe from seasonal or infectious diseases.

5. Playground Sanitation

The exchange of germs happens when kids are playing together. The activities that involve sharing and caring messages are the ones we can blame.

Those kids with symptoms of any illness should be kept under close observation because when they hold a toy and pass it on to another kid, bacteria present on that toy will pass on to others—sanitizing all the toys after being used by the kids.

6. Nutritious Food

Your baby needs all the goodness in food. Do not skip any fruit or vegetable that helps build a solid internal defense system.

Get a consultation with your pediatrician and ask what food you can give your child according to that age, making sure that your child is getting enough nutritious food that helps keep their immunity strong to battle against bacteria.

Conclusion

Parents must be vigilant about their children’s health and take steps to keep them away from illnesses. The best way to do this is by keeping up-to-date on daycare center policies and procedures and following the advice of the experts.

Doing so can help ensure that your child stays healthy and happy. Hope you enjoyed reading today’s blog post.