Good hygiene needed to hit infections in day-care
Children in day-care fall ill about twice as often as children cared for at home, according to a new guidebook published by the MSAH. The majority of cases of illness among kids in day-care are the result of infections that could be limited by better hygiene practices.
The guidebook mainly contains recommendations on practical steps that day-care centres can take to improve hygiene as well as basic facts about infectious diseases. The guidebook points out the example of research conducted in 1999 in Oulu, which found that sickness days in day-care centres dropped by 16% and sick leave from work among parents dropped by 24% when day-care hygiene was improved.
Less sickness in day-care also means that kids enjoy themselves and manage better, and it also means that fewer antibiotics are prescribed and so the chances of resistance to antibiotics declines.
Further information: Ms Merja Saarinen, Ministerial Counceller, Health/Mediacal Affairs tel. +358 9 160 74030, Ms Leena Soininen, Senior Medical Officer, +358 9 16073881