Personal hygiene and hand-washing habits can lower a child’s risk of infection
<div class="ExternalClass9D99E9009F1843E195A54D1101845111"><div>Children are active by nature, and their hands tend to pick up germs when they move around and touch various surfaces. They then use these same dirty hands to touch their faces, rub their eyes or place the fingers in their mouth. This makes them vulnerable to infections such as diarrhoea, acute respiratory diseases and
<a href="https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/1932/Hand-Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-All-You-Need-to-Know">Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD)</a>.</div><div>
</div><h2>Poor hand washing habits claim many young lives worldwide</h2><div>Each year around 760,000 children under the age of five die from diarrhoeal diseases due to poor hygiene and lack of access to proper sanitation.<sup>1</sup> These diseases can be prevented.</div><div>
</div><div>Hand washing is one simple solution that children can learn to protect themselves against infectious diseases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hygiene education and the promotion of hand washing can reduce diarrhoeal cases by up to 45%. When children wash their hands – usually the first line of defence against the spread of many diseases – the rate of infection is reduced significantly.</div><div>
</div><div>
<sup>1.</sup> http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs330/en</div><div>
</div><h2>Chase the germs away with soap and water</h2><div>Getting children to learn and practise proper hand washing techniques may not be easy at first. However, explaining the reasons for it can help them understand and pick up the habit.</div><div>
</div><div>As a parent or caregiver, you can make this fun. For instance, you can add in a hand washing quiz, or a game that perhaps rewards your child for their efforts. This helps them to remember the various steps in proper hand washing.</div><div>
</div><h2>Clean hands are for mum and dad as well</h2><div>Cultivating this good habit is not limited to children. Parents and caregivers should also wash their hands as they could pass the germs on to their children. The 2005 World Health Report mentions that households can prevent illness by washing hands after using the washroom, before preparing meals and before feeding children.</div><div>
</div><div>Keeping hands clean is a form of social responsibility to reduce the risk of infection. The simple act of washing hands with soap and water can prevent infections and save lives.</div><div>
</div><h2>When to wash your hands</h2><div>Some important moments for hand washing include:</div><div>
</div><div>
<strong>Before and after:</strong></div><div><ul><li>Handling or preparing food.
</li><li>Eating.
</li><li>Caring for someone who is sick.
</li><li>Feeding a child.
</li><li>Treating a cut.
</li><li>Giving medicine.
</li></ul></div><div>
<strong>After:</strong></div><div><ul><li>Using the washroom.
</li><li>Wiping or blowing one’s nose.
</li><li>Coughing or sneezing.
</li><li>Changing diapers.
</li><li>Touching common surfaces such as lift buttons, door knobs, handles, table tops.
</li><li>Touching rubbish or something dirty.
</li><li>Playing with or touching pets.
</li></ul></div><h2>Don’t get caught dirty-handed; lead by example</h2><div>What you do, your child sees and follows. So set a good example with good personal hygiene habits. Washing hands properly and thoroughly is one of them.</div><div>
</div><div>Apart from hand washing, leading a healthy lifestyle is equally important. For both young and old, a healthy diet and regular exercise can strengthen one’s immune system against illnesses.</div><div>
</div><h2>Useful hand washing activity:</h2><div>
</div><div>Parents and caregivers can use the
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxlQn7KaCNU">Washy Washy Clean song</a> to teach children the correct technique of washing hands the fun way. In fact, the duration of the song serves as a guide to demonstrate the
<a href="https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/471/keepyourhandsclean">proper steps</a> of the hand washing process.</div><div>
</div><div>Remember, washing hands with soap and water for 30 seconds reduces the germ count by up to 99%.</div></div>
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Thursday, May 28, 2015
ICD-1-Infectious Parasitic,PER_Parent,PGM_StudentHealth,AGE_Toddlers,AGE_Adult,CHILD_Children,INTEREST_Body Care,
No
490
Thursday, August 15, 2019
<div class="ExternalClassA318562EAD924B8098B4452F01AA643E"><p>Health Promotion Board
3 Second Hospital Avenue
Singapore 168937</p></div>
HPB_Mailbox@hpb.gov.sg
<div class="ExternalClass5BDF3B4CC706437EBF918AF35CCB96B2">Established in 2001, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) has a vision to build a nation of healthy people.
HPB implements programmes that reach out to the population, specifically children, adults and the elderly. These programmes include health and dental services for school children, BreastScreen Singapore, AIDS Education Programme, CervicalScreen Singapore, Childhood Injury Prevention Programme, Mental Health Education Programme, National Myopia Prevention Programme, Physical Activity, National Smoking Control Programme, Nutrition Programme, Osteoporosis Education Programme, Workplace Health Promotion Programme, HPB Online, HealthLine, Health Information Centre and HealthZone. New programmes will also be initiated over time to address health concerns among the community.</div>
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Health Promotion Board
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Keep Those Little Hands Clean
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ICD-1-Infectious Parasitic, PER_Parent, PGM_StudentHealth, AGE_Toddlers, AGE_Adult, CHILD_Children, INTEREST_Body Care