The best way to stop the spread of bacteria and viruses is to practice good hand hygiene. Even while washing your hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer may seem like a minor thing, it can have a big influence on your health. According to Michael Sebert, M.D., Medical Director for Infection Prevention and Control at Children's HealthSM and Associate Professor at UT Southwestern, "Hand cleanliness is a crucial lifetime practice for keeping healthy." It is a technique to lower our chance of contracting diseases like the flu, the common cold, and other respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses. Washing hands could help 1 in 3 young children who become ill with diarrhea and 1 in 5 young children who contract respiratory illnesses like pneumonia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
When should hands be cleaned?
Making frequent hand hygiene a part of your everyday routine is beneficial. Hands should be washed in particular:
- following a restroom visit
- following a diaper change
- prior to eating
- Anytime hands are clearly filthy
- following exposure to body fluids
- After sneezing, coughing, and disposing of your tissue,
- Following contact with animals, such as those at a petting zoo or a family pet
A good method to create a lifelong habit is to start teaching children to wash their hands at a young age. By associating hand washing with enjoyable activities like snack time and cleanup after arts and crafts, you can encourage your child to practice it. To ensure they don't rush, have your children practice counting or sing a song as they wash their hands. Children can find excitement in soap or sanitizer that foams, changes color, or smells wonderful.
Washing your own hands is one of the finest methods to urge your children to do the same. Parents are the primary teachers for children, according to Dr. Sebert. "Model proper hand hygiene for your family to maintain their health."
Here are some methods for washing your hands correctly:
- Use warm water to wash your hands.
- Lather up with soap for around 20 seconds, or about how long it takes kids to sing "Happy Birthday" twice.
- Be sure to cleanse your wrists, under your nails, and between your fingers.
- Rinse and pat dry using a fresh towel.
Kids can get an infection after coming into contact with germs by touching their eyes, nose, or mouth. And once they are afflicted, it usually only takes a little while for the entire family to acquire the same disease.
Don't undervalue the effectiveness of hand washing! Spending time at the sink could prevent you from visiting the doctor.
PDO I Kimberly M. Tanador, RND
References:
Children’s health
https://www.childrens.com/doctor-profile/michael-evan-sebert
Show Me the Science - Why Wash Your Hands?
https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/why-handwashing.html
Handwashing - Why it's important
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/handwashing-why-its-important
Handwashing for parents and children
https://caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/healthy-living/handwashing
