Hand hygiene is the cheapest, simplest and most effective measure to prevent infections. In addition, since the year, children are able to learn to wash their hands and do it before and after meals, and after using the bathroom.
This is reminded of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP) and has clear rewards. According to the study 'Efficacy of a hand hygiene program in child care centers: a randomized group trial', published in the journal 'Pediatrics', parents, pediatricians and caregivers who wash their hands frequently and promote children under three years of age to do so, can reduce the respiratory infections of children between 20 and 30%.
In Babies and moreWorld Day of handwashing: how a simple gesture could help us prevent up to 200 diseasesA very effective educational program
The study involved 900 children under three years of age for eight months in Almería (Spain). It is the first research that demonstrates the effectiveness of an educational program on hand hygiene designed for parents and staff responsible for the care of children aged zero to three.
The program referred to in the study was established in the centers and homes themselves and achieved a lower incidence of respiratory infections and antibiotic prescription in this age group so vulnerable.
In the case of minors, it consisted of washing their hands when entering the classroom, before and after the meal, and after recess. Tutors and caregivers should wash their hands after coughing or sneezing, blowing their nose or after changing diapers.
In Babies and more Protect your baby from respiratory infectionsThe lead author of the study, Dr. Ernestina Azor-Martínez, of the Pediatric Service of the Torrecárdenas Hospital in Almería, also refers to the effectiveness of the method chosen for hand washing.
It is the first time that the benefits on the risk of respiratory infection at the individual level of handwashing with soap and water (21% reduction in IR prevalence) or with hand sanitizer (31%), as well as in the Antibiotic use and absenteeism. The result: a clear advantage in using hand sanitizer instead of washing them with soap and water only.
Dr. Gerardo Rodríguez, coordinator of the Health Promotion Committee of the AEP explains:
“Respiratory infections are a major health problem in this age group due to the morbidity they cause and the excessive prescription of antibiotics and, thanks to this study, we can verify that something as simple as hand washing is a valuable, easy measure and effective to prevent the transmission of this type of diseases ”.
'Save lives: clean your hands'
Today, May 5, the World Day of Hand Hygiene in Healthcare is celebrated, framed within the program of the World Health Organization (WHO) 'Save lives: clean your hands'.
The AEP expert wants to remind us "The need and importance of parents, guardians and health personnel to implement proper hand hygiene frequently to prevent this type of respiratory infections."
In Babies and more Respiratory syncytial virus: what it is and how it affects babiesWe also join in the promotion of this simple (and economic) measure to protect our children and we are left with the recommendation of pediatricians that affect that:
"Children from one year of age are perfectly capable of learning to wash their hands and the correct thing is that, at a minimum, they do so before and after meals and after using the bathroom."
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