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Maintaining a Sanitary Child Care Environment - Six Tips for Germ Control

by Susan S. Aronson, MD
January/February 2001
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Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/maintaining-a-sanitary-child-care-environment-six-tips-for-germ-control/5013794/

All Germs Are Not Bad Germs

Normally, we share the environment with a balanced population of bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. Let's just call them all germs. Our bodies maintain control over the growth of the germs that co-inhabit the world with us. Healthy people usually resist invasion by germs pretty well, fight those that get past the body's barriers, and repair any damage they do. Some germs are better able to get around our defenses than others. Fortunately, less harmful germs fight for territory and help control those that are more harmful.


Very young children have not yet developed immunity to many of the germs that they encounter. It takes more time for the body to mount a response and kill off a type of infection that is being met for the first time. Control of infectious disease risks is especially important for them.

Tip #1:
Keep body defenses strong.

The body barriers are skin and mucous membranes. When we cut our skin, dry out or otherwise injure the protective layer of mucus that covers our moist body openings we give germs an opening into parts of our bodies where these germs don't belong. Avoiding injury is desirable, but not always possible. When injury ...

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