While daycare centers provide a nurturing environment for children to learn and socialize, they also become breeding grounds for various illnesses. From runny noses to stomach troubles, understanding these prevalent issues gives parents and caregivers the knowledge needed to foster a safe and hygienic environment for the children in their care. Keep reading to learn more about the most common daycare illnesses and uncover practical tips on how to navigate these health challenges with care and vigilance.
What are the Most Common Daycare Illnesses?
Nursery schools are like petri dishes for pathogenic outbreaks. If one kid gets sick with an illness, it’s likely to spread to the other children in the daycare facility. Worse yet, the kids bring these pathogens home to the family, where their parents and siblings become exposed to infection. Let’s explore the most common daycare illnesses.
Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis)
Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, is a viral or bacterial pathogen that’s usually responsible for causing outbreaks of the common cold. It spreads through contact and body fluids and is highly contagious.
The extent of pink eye infections varies. In some cases, pink eye will cause minor irritation and swelling of the eye, leading to a redness that gives the disease its moniker. Other pink eye infections are highly aggressive and may spread to both eyes. It may take weeks to heal or require antibiotic eyedrops to kill the pathogen.
If you or your child has pink eye they should stay home from the day care center until a doctor has seen them. Avoid touching or rubbing eyes, practice frequent hand washing, and do not share toys or personal items.
Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a highly contagious viral infection that passes in droplets sprayed into the air when the infected child coughs or sneezes. This is a common illness found in young children, mainly under five years old.
Present in the stool, hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common occurrence in childcare centers, especially due to the tasks of potty training and changing diapers.
Symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease include mouth sores, fever, and a rash on the feet and hands. Typically, treatments for the disease include Motrin or Tylenol.
Stomach Flu
Due to poor personal hygiene and handwashing habits, it’s common for pathogens like Norovirus to infect kids and spread. The stomach flu virus causes gastroenteritis, or a stomach bug that results in vomiting, diarrhea, and a fever. Some may experience abdominal pain or cramps. Kids may also experience a lack of appetite and dehydration.
Strep Throat
Strep has similar symptoms to hand-foot-mouth disease. However, the symptoms of sore throat pain are more intense and make it hard for the child to swallow. As a result, they might cry frequently and require nurturing.
Strep causes white patches in the back of the throat and swollen lymph nodes. Doctors treat the disease with antibiotics to get rid of the infection.
RSV – Respiratory Syncytial Virus
Older children who experience RSV infection display minor cold or flu symptoms. However, the disease can be much more severe in younger kids. RSV is a type of virus that can cause upper respiratory infections.
A fever, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, wheezing, and loss of appetite are common symptoms of RSV. The virus spreads through direct contact with infected kids and requires hydration to see them through the illness. Ear infections may result from illnesses such as colds, flu, or allergy.
Tips to Avoid Pathogenic Infections
Most parents send their kids to daycare because they have work commitments they can set aside. So, parents must safeguard their kids against pathogenic infection to prevent diseases from entering the household and spreading through the family.
Follow these tips to stay healthy:
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- Ensure your child is up to date on all their immunizations.
- Ensure your child has the best nutrition possible to strengthen their immune system.
- Keep your kids away from others who might present signs of disease. If there’s an outbreak at the daycare center keep them at home until it passes.
- Discourage the use of pacifiers or thumb-sucking as early as possible.
- Teach your kids the importance of washing their hands frequently.
Protecting Kids from Common Illnesses at Daycare
Parents must understand that sending their children to daycare will eventually result in them contracting one of the diseases mentioned in this post. If your kid does get sick, take them to the pediatrician for diagnosis; don’t wait it out.
Infections are common during the first two years of their attending daycare. Don’t stress about it – be prepared.
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