Sickness and Health: Handwashing on the Go

When should children and adult wash hands? Upon arrival at the childcare program and when moving between groups; before and after meals, giving medication, or playing in water; and after diapering, toilet use, playing in sand boxes, and handling bodily fluids, garbage, animals, and certain foods like uncooked meat.

How long should you lather up? Rub hands with soapy lather at least 10 seconds.

What supplies should be taken on field trips? Liquid soap and paper towels, disposable moistened cloths, and alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Does alcohol-based sanitizer substitute for hand washing? No, it is not as effective. But it may be used when running water is not available.

Safety First: Prevention and Treatment of Poisoning

How many children’s poisonings occur each year? About one million are reported; more than 100,000 require hospitalization.

Why are children at high risk for poisoning? First, because of their natural curiosity--they put everything they encounter in their mouths. Children also mimic adults and are attracted to the cosmetics, cleaning supplies, and medications that they see adults use.

What is a “poison?” A poison is any substance--solid, liquid, spray, or gas--that can cause an unintended symptom. It does not necessarily mean the substance is deadly. A substance is toxic or poisonous if it can cause any negative symptom, even if only a mild rash.

What is the Poison Control Center hotline number? 1-800-222-1222

Nutrition Action: Learning Nutrition Through Reading

Name a book about breakfast: Pancakes, Pancakes by Eric Carle, Tomie dePaola’s Pancakes for Breakfast, Laura Numeroff’s If You Give A Moose A Muffin, Max’s Breakfast by Rosemary Wells, or Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss.

Name a book about where food comes from: Pumpkin, Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington, One Bean by Anne Rockwell, Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert, Ruth Krauss’s The Carrot Seed, and Milk from Cow to Carton by Aliki.

Name a book about fruits or vegetables: Lois Ehlert’s Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z; The Wild Bunch, by Dee Lillegard and Rex Barron; Vivian French’s books Oliver’s Vegetables and Oliver’s Fruit Salad

Name a book about bread: Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban; The Unbeatable Bread by Lyn Hoopes; Sun Bread by Elisa Kleven; Eric Carle’s Walter the Baker; Ann Morris’s Bread, Bread, Bread; Bread is for Eating by David and Phillis Gershator; Norah Dooley’s trilogy Everybody Bakes Bread, Everybody Cooks Rice, and Everybody Brings Noodles,

Medicine Chest: Information on Autism

Is autism common? Autism is the third most common developmental disorder, after mental retardation and cerebral palsy. The incidence is around one in 500 children.

What are some characteristics of autism? Autism is characterized by “deficits in social reciprocity” that may include a range of back-and-forth actions, such as gestures, smiling, play, attention, and conversation. Ritualistic and obsessive type behaviors also may be present. Typical behaviors seen include hand flapping, jumping up and down, head banging, and rocking back and forth.

What are some delayed developmental milestones to watch?

• No big smiles or warm expressions by six months of age or thereafter.
• No back and forth sharing of sounds, smiles or facial expressions by nine months of age.
• No babbling and pointing by 12 months of age.
• No single words by 16 months of age.
• No spontaneous two-word phrases by 24 months of age.

What should a caregiver or parent do if they suspect a developmental disorder? Have the child evaluated by a medical professional.

Health & You: New Dietary Guidelines

What are the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans?” These are a set of guidelines to assist children and adults in making healthy food and physical activity choices.

What are some goals of these Guidelines? To improve Americans’ personal health by preventing diseases caused by vitamin and mineral shortages or unhealthy food handling; preventing or delaying the onset of chronic diseases related to obesity; and providing information about the importance of regular physical activity,

When were the newest Guidelines published? January 2005

What foods are encouraged through the Guidelines? Fruits and vegetables, whole grain products, and non- or low-fat dairy products.