Question

what is the effectiveness of hand hygiene compliance in child daycare centers?

Answer 1

- A child daycare programme consists of many children coming from different homes and environment. These children play, eat and share their toys with each other.
- As children are very curious about every new thing they see they tend to touch everything around. Some might even put them in their mouth.
-The staff of child care facility handles the children, their toys and food.
- In such conditions germs may easily spread from one child to another or from caregiver to the child. The hands of staff and the children themselves will act as a reservoir of germs.
- Dirty and infected hands may result in variety of viral and bacterial infections. It can result in respiratory and gastrointestinal infections.

- Washing of hands will act as first line of defence against infections in childcare facilities.
- Practising proper hand hygiene will help prevent spread of infections and germs from one person to another.
- A child’s immune system is not fully development and so they catch infection easily. Washing hands will prevent growth of micro organisms on hand and thus prevent infections.  
- The staff must wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water after coming to facility, before handling food items or making children eat.
- Hand washing should also be performed after using washrooms or changing diapers.
- They should also teach the children importance of hand washing and proper technique of washing hands.
- Strictly Complying to hand hygiene will help maintain a healthy environment at the childcare facility. It will help prevent various diseases and infections.