Questions and Answers!
Your Training Resource

December 2006 - January 2007, Volume 10, Issue 1

In Sickness & Health: Separation Anxiety:

At what age do infants begin to understand that parents and caregivers are separate from themselves? About 6-8 months.

At what age are children most likely to experience stress when the parent or caregiver leaves? Between 6-20 months, but most commonly at about age 13-18 months.

What are some ways to prevent separation anxiety? Stay with the child for a short period of time when dropping the child; talk with the child about the new people in her or his life; offer the child a “transitional object” such as a blanket;

Safety First: Tips for Traffic Safety Projects:

What are some ways to reduce the speed of nearby traffic? Ask your city to take action and install a speed bump, erect a radar speed sign, or provide police patrol.

Where can I find information about possible grants to fund traffic safety? Your local childcare resource and referral agency, city managers or city/county officials, local service organizations, and the library.

Nutrition Action: Cooking, Counting, Stirring & Learning

How is a cooking activity sensory? Children see the ingredients; they hear the ingredients being mixed; they smell the aroma; they touch the ingredients as they prepare them; and they taste the product.

What lifeskills are taught through cooking? Cooking encourages learning about hygiene, safety, cooperation, math skills, and vocabulary. Cooking also promotes motor development

What are appropriate activities for two-year-olds? Making sandwiches, scrubbing vegetables, tearing lettuce, dunking finger foods, etc.

What are appropriate activities for four-year-olds? Tasks that require finger manipulation such as peeling or cutting, and following recipes.

Medicine Chest: RSV Illness:

What is RSV? Respiratory syncytial virus is a common, highly contagious seasonal virus that can cause serious respiratory illness in young children.

Is RSV a serious disease? Infants and very young children can develop bronchial infections and pneumonia.

Can RSV be prevented? Currently, there is no vaccine available. However, a preventive medication called palivizumab is sometimes given monthly to premature and high-risk infants and young children. Palivizumab prevents the serious complications of RSV. Handwashing, disinfect toys and surfaces, exclude ill children,

Health & You: Immunizations for Adults

Don’t adults get all their immunizations in childhood? Some immunizations require booster shots, such as Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) vaccine every 10 years.

What are some complications from diseases? Measles can cause ear infections, diarrhea, and pneumonia. Mumps causes fever, headache, and swollen glands and can lead to deafness, meningitis, and painful swelling of the testicles, ovaries, or breasts. Chicken pox can lead to shingles.

How do I know if I am immune to diseases? Ask your doctor. Most adults born before 1957 are immune to measles and mumps because they probably had the disease. Blood tests are also available to determine immunity to some diseases.

Is Hepatitis vaccine recommended? The Hep B vaccine, a series of 3 injections, is highly recommended for childcare providers.