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Preventing colds in kids: Wash your hands!
March 9th, 2010
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
Colds, that upper respiratory infection that keeps most of us "under the weather" is very common in the winter months. Colds are especially common in children, where they attend school and come in contact with other children every day. How can you minimize the risk of your child getting the sniffles?
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) – The procedure is very simple. Have your little ones wash their hands as often as possible!
Bacteria for colds lurk in countless surfaces. Door handles, stair railings, books, pens, video game remotes, a computer keyboard or mouse ... all of these surfaces can hold bacteria for colds and germs for several hours. Once your child touches the object, and then scratches his nose or eyes – the infection begins.
Very young children not schooled in proper ettiquette will also sneeze and cough without covering their mouths. This simple bit instilled in a youngster will help stop them spreading their colds and flus to others as well.
Children are more susceptible to colds if they are going through periods of fatigue and stress – so make sure your child gets a good night's sleep.
Doctors say that with the exception of newborns, colds in children are usually not dangerous and disappear after 10 days.
Statistics show that preschool-aged children have around nine colds per year, kindergartners can have 12 colds per year, and adolescents and adults have about seven colds per year. The most common times for colds begins after September, and can run through the spring months of March and April.