Handwashing

Question

Hello,

My baby has cystic fibrosis and I'm wondering until what age we have to wash hands before touching and take care of her? Otherwise, we used to wash our hands regularly but the people we meet don't do it necessarily and sometimes they touch the hands of our daughter or her face without having washed their hands just before ... Is this serious? Should we force them to wash their hands before touching?

Thank you.

Answer

Hello,
Hand hygiene is actually a simple and inexpensive way to limit microbial transmission but at home, we must apply this rule without excess and at specific times.
I do not know the age of your child or its health but hand hygiene at home must be the same for all:
- after a dirty business
- before and after the meal
- before preparing food
- before performing the child care
- after using the toilet
- after blowing the nose

If you follow it, it does not seem useful to wash your hands every time before you take your child (unless she is very fragile).

Frictioning the hands with hydroalcoholic solution could replace hand washing with mild soap if your hands are visually clean;
This act is effective and fast.
For your close family, you can ask them hand hygiene as noted above.
For visiting friends, do not be worried, but do not hesitate to discuss it with them if you see visually dirty hands.
For the well being of your child and for a better quality of life for the whole family and pending the results of future studies on this subject it seems important today to apply at home the basic rules of hygiene, simple and without excess.
Greetings
Yann Kerneur

15.03.2013