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Infectious diseases and daycare and preschool education
Maria M Nesti1, Moisés Goldbaum
1Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMUSP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil. mnesti@amcham.com.br
Insights
Children in daycare centers face a 2-3 times higher risk of infectious diseases. Implementing simple infection control measures, like hand washing and proper hygiene, is crucial for prevention and reducing disease spread in childcare settings.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Public health
- Childcare epidemiology
Background:
- Out-of-home childcare, including daycare and preschools, is increasingly common.
- Children in these settings are at a higher risk of acquiring infectious diseases compared to home-based care.
- The transmission of infections in childcare environments poses risks to individual children and community health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the heightened risk of infectious diseases in children attending out-of-home childcare.
- To assess the efficacy of control and prevention strategies for infectious disease transmission in daycare and preschool settings.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of MEDLINE, LILACS, and Cochrane Library databases.
- Search terms included 'daycare,' 'infection,' 'infection control,' and 'infectious diseases.'
- Focused on comparative studies on infectious disease risk and preventative measure effectiveness.
Main Results:
- Children in daycare/preschool settings have a 2-3 times greater risk of infections.
- Infection risk is linked to childcare center characteristics.
- Simple preventative measures significantly reduce disease transmission.
Conclusions:
- Given the rise in childcare utilization, effective control measures are essential.
- Implementing recommended practices is vital for preventing and controlling infectious diseases in childcare.
- These measures protect individual children and limit community-wide disease dissemination.
Objective:
To describe the increased risk of acquiring infectious diseases associated with out-of-home childcare and the effectiveness of measures for the control and prevention of diseases transmission at daycare and preschool education centers.
Sources:
A review of literature in the MEDLINE, LILACS and Cochrane Library databases, found using the descriptors daycare, infection, infection control and infectious diseases and focusing on studies that have compared the risk of infectious diseases for children cared for in and out of the home, related risk to the type of out-of-home care and assessed the effectiveness of preventative measures.
Summary Of The Findings:
Children cared for at daycare or in preschool education exhibit a two to three times greater risk of acquiring infections, which impacts both on individual health and on the dissemination of diseases through the community. Among other factors, the risk is associated with the characteristics of daycare centers, and simple preventative measures are effective for reducing transmission of diseases. Recommended measures include: appropriate hand washing after exposure; employment of standard precautions; standardized routines for changing and disposal of used diapers, location and cleanliness of changing area, cleaning and disinfection of contaminated areas; use of disposable tissues for blowing noses; separate workers and area for handling foods; notification of infectious diseases; training of workers and guidance for parents.
Conclusions:
In the face of growing utilization of daycare and preschool education and their association with increased risk of acquired infections, control measures are indispensable to the prevention and control of infectious diseases.
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