How to Protect Children in Daycare From MRSA

MRSA (methicillin resistant staphyloccocus aureus), an antibiotic-resistant strain of the common staph bacteria, is responsible for more than 94,000 serious infections and nearly 19,000 death each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's been causing serious infections in hospitals for over 30 years, but now its occurrence is increasing in the general population. Unfortunately, it commonly strikes very young children and outbreaks have been known to occur in daycare centers. Fortunately, there are some simple preventative measures that can help protect your child.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Personal items such as blankets, mats, bottles, toys
• Disinfectant
• Bandages

1. Send as many personal items as possible from home for your baby or toddler, including blankets, mats, clothing, bottles and favorite stuffed animals. The idea is to minimize shared objects.
2. Bring these personal items home frequently for cleaning. Wash clothing and blankets in hot water and detergent, and bleach if possible. Dry in a hot dryer. Wipe down other items with disinfectant several times a week.
3. Teach a toddler the right way to wash her hands. Show her how to scrub them well with soap and water for at least 15 seconds. Use a favorite song to help her time the process.
4. Clean all of your child's scrapes and cuts thoroughly and keep them covered with a bandage that attaches to the skin on all sides until they are completely healed. Openings in the skin are MRSA's main route into the body.
5. Talk to the daycare staff about their hygiene policies. Make sure hand hygiene is enforced; caregivers wear gloves when applying or changing bandages and wash hands immediately afterwards; and cots, toys and diaper changing surfaces are cleaned and sanitized thoroughly on a regular basis with phenol or chlorine based disinfectants.
6. Take your child to the doctor immediately if he has a cut or wound that doesn't heal properly or seems to be infected. Caught early, MRSA infections can often be treated by lancing and draining sores and quickly administering certain antibiotics.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to wash your own hands immediately after cleaning a child's wound or changing a bandage.
• Find out your daycare provider's policies on attendance with infectious illnesses, including MRSA. Although the CDC does not consider it necessary to remove all children with MRSA from a school or daycare environment, your provider should demand notification of cases and be prepared to take precautions to prevent casual contact with uncovered wounds.