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Mums Against Cooties
Disinfection techniques can keep children healthy

A campaign designed to educate parents and child care centres about the role of disinfection in keeping children healthy has been launched in the USA

The Mums Against Cooties campaign, launched by the Water Quality and Health Council, uses social media such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to educate parents and child care workers about the use of disinfection and to highlight some of the risks of improper disinfection.

Research conducted by the University of Arizona shows that child care services are frequently contaminated due to the fact that microorganisms can survive for days on inanimate objects such as playground equipment and environmental surfaces.

The same study found that proper disinfection can reduce the need for antibiotics among children in child care centres by 32 percent and that bacteria do not become more resistant to antibiotics when thorough disinfection is practiced.

Lead researcher Professor Charles P Gerba said child care centres and harmful viruses can be best friends but it doesn't have to be that way:

"People don't realize that children up to two years old put their hands or other objects in their mouth an average of 81 times per hour. At that rate, a child's chances of catching the 'flu or another illness increases substantially. That's why it's important to try and reduce the spread of germs by disinfecting child care surfaces and toys," he said.

The Mums Against Cooties campaign promotes guidelines from the USA Center for Disease Control and Prevention that recommend chlorine bleach solutions for disinfecting surfaces such as nappy change mats and play equipment.

"Disinfection is needed to control the notorious norovirus, well known for shutting down schools, restaurants, hotels, cruise ships and even restricting visitors from seeing their loved ones in nursing homes," said Michigan State University microbiologist Dr.Joan Rose, a member of the Water Quality and Health Council.

"Using a disinfectant, like chlorine bleach, can go a long way toward keeping children and their families a lot healthier. It's more affordable and easier to disinfect child care centres appropriately than spend time and money on doctors and antibiotics."

The Water Quality and Health Council is offering free downloadable posters and tips on how to properly disinfect child care services. The posters can be downloaded online at www.disinfect-for-health.org. To learn more, visit www.MomsAgainstCooties.com.

Do you agree with this initiative? Go to CareforKids Social to share your views on the use of chlorine bleach in the child care environment.