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Why a children’s sandbox is dangerous: what diseases can you get infected
Children just love to sculpt sand cakes. But today, some squeamish mothers consider the sandbox a breeding ground for infection and try to protect the child from it in all possible ways. Do they really have anything to worry about?
– I must say right away that my child is an active user of the sandbox. On the one hand, this is a real testing ground for honing communication and conflict resolution skills – everyone, without exception, needs them. On the other hand, this is a lot of impressions and the development of fine motor skills. But our sandboxes are infinitely far from ideal.
Not every sandbox is equipped with a special cover that prevents cats and dogs from accessing the sand. Unfortunately, even irresponsible owners allow their own pets to walk around the playground, what can we say about stray animals wandering there?
To improve the sandbox in your own yard, you need to contact the HOA or UK. It is also important to change the sand in it at least once a year. This, at least to some extent, helps to protect against helminths and protozoa, which, in fact, can actually be picked up on almost any site.
“But they can be found not only in the sandbox, but also in the dust outside,” our expert clarifies. – And if you follow simple rules, the risk of infection tends to zero. We are talking about washing hands after a walk, and children under 6-7 years old should be helped by an adult, as well as about not feeding the child while playing in the sandbox or immediately after, before reaching the bathroom.
When parasites do enter the child’s body, parents quickly understand this. Loose stools, loss of appetite, perianal itching, abdominal pain and nausea become “bells”. If the baby stops gaining weight or even loses weight, this is also a reason to see a doctor.
Nadezhda Davydenko is categorical with regard to preventive methods of dealing with worms: “Since in Russia, according to the WHO, there are no people with kilograms of worms in the body, no prophylactic antihelminthic drugs are needed. They are not harmless! Nobody thinks about how serious a drug must be that can kill a multicellular organism. “
Fighting parasites that have already shown themselves is also not worth it. Treatment is prescribed by a doctor, and if suddenly he prescribes dietary supplements, tinctures or charmed water – feel free to go to another doctor. Parasites living in the intestine are diagnosed by means of three-fold microscopy of feces and scrapings.
– A blood test (ELISA) is done only for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis, toxocariasis, richinellosis, fascioliasis, opisthorchiasis, echinococcosis, – explains the pediatrician. – And he is appointed not by his mother, but by an infectious disease specialist! The detection of all other parasites by a blood test is unreliable.
Another danger that can await us in the sandbox is the causative agents of tetanus, a serious infectious disease that enters the body through open wounds. Due to the possibility of tetanus infection, the most innocent scratches become dangerous. Parents need to inspect the sandbox every time before the child reaches it, so that there is no glass, nails, crumpled cans in it after careless adults. If the child does cut himself, it is necessary to treat the wound with an antiseptic as soon as possible and seal it with a plaster so that germs no longer get into it.
As for other infections and viruses, then, of course, the child is not protected from them in the sandbox. But in this case, the problem is not in the sand, but in the fact that on the playground the children interact with each other: they hug, change toys, fight, talk and cough.
– Because of this, you can catch most of the viral infections here: measles, rubella, mumps, whooping cough. But again, the risk of this, for example, in the playroom of a shopping center is much higher, says the expert.
To minimize the likelihood of getting sick, mothers are advised to take their children for vaccinations in a timely manner and make sure that their little ones on the street do not lick toys and dirty fingers.
This nasty conjunctivitis
But what is really a lot in any sandbox is sand. And in itself, he also carries a danger, especially for active children. But here everything is in the hands of the parents.
If babies quarrel under a wooden fungus, sand and scoops become their main weapons. Moms and dads should try to smooth out all corners and act as real diplomats in order to regulate hot children’s conflicts.
However, sometimes the sand gets into the eyes from the usual breeze. In this case, Nadezhda Davydenko advises to rinse the eyes abundantly with clean water and in no case allow the baby to rub them, so as not to damage the cornea. If you managed to rub it, it will not hurt to drip levomycytin drops, which have an antimicrobial effect, after washing.
Sometimes children also taste sand, and this is, of course, a big oversight for their mums and dads. When this happens, parents can only watch the baby with redoubled attention in order to immediately respond to any alarming symptoms.