Prophylaxis of Pseudomonas

Question

Our grand-daughter is nearly one year old. Which general precautions have to be taken esp. in the household in which time-interval in order to avoid a colonization with Pseudmonas?
And as a special question: is Pseudomonas also in the condensating water of the tea bottles, which is collected in the sucker, if yes, in what time-interval?
Which care do the spraying attachments on the taps need?

Answer

Hello,
at the age of one year your child is going to be more mobile, kreeps and will walk around soon and put all thigs that it can get in its mouth.
Pseudomonas bacteria are so-called humid-germs. They live and survive well in the humid environment, die in the dry surrounding within a few hours.
Dirty cleaning water, cleaning cloths or kitchen-towels are e.g. sources of infection. As well as animals. As your grand-daughter actually can not reach at the moment sinks, perlators of the water supply or toilets, here one has only take into accout as precatuion measures that you grand-daughter should if possible not be in the same room when using the flush of the toilet or if she is present in the toilet room one should close the toilet lid. Pseudmonas can be found in the earth and in humid leaves. The child should therefore not play with flower soil or leaves if possible. On the other hand you cannot forbid her to play in the sandbox. Here the hands should be washed well after having played.

Fruits and vegetables should be washed well if eated row. One should avoid salad which is already washed and kept humid in bags.
Paddling pools in the garden should be filled with fresh water every day. Here one has to make sure that the inside of the empty pool is dry when it is not filled.
Suckers for the bottles should be disinfected in the vaporisator after every usage. This is also true for pacifiers after being in usage for more than 4-6 hours. One should have enough pacifiers in storage.
In general it can be said, that Pseudmonas is an environmental germ, which is present everywhere. With a normal hygiene behaviour which approves for every human the risk of colonization with this germ is however relatively small. Try therefore to raise your grand-child as free of exaggerated restraints and restrictions as possible.
Yours sincerely.
Dr. H.-G. Posselt

02.11.2009