Clay

Question

Dear expert team,

Is there any danger for a child in working with clay, such as making pottery because of different germs?

Thank you very much for your question.

Answer

Dear inquirer,

I can well understand that you wonder if there are any germs in the clay which most probably you buy in an arts and craft supply shop which bear any danger for your child. On the other hand working with clay is a good possibility to train, among others, body awareness and enhance self confidence.

In the literature I looked through I did not find any reasonable answers to your question. Pseudomonas germs in clay so far have not been described which of course is no reason why their existence could be excluded. However, where can you exclude pseudomonas with final certainty unless you want to you’re your child away from everything which is necessary for a child’s development and what a child enjoys.

I am of the opinion that therefore there is only a down-to earth answer to your question: If you want your child to play with clay, then allow it. Afterwards hands should be washed anyway. There is no absolute security, hence by no means should you miss -and that is true for every Pseudomonas –free child- to have throat swabs or even better sputum examined for Pseudomonas in regular intervals; here I recommend 4 weeks.

Enjoy making pottery!

With best regards,
Dr. E. Rietschel

01.12.2008