1.

Without proper precautions, early childhood settings can be

prone to the spread of infectious diseases. Review the information
in your text on the transmission of infectious diseases (pp. 425435
and 461472). Briefly explain the four ways infectious diseases can
be spread, giving an example of each. Then identify sanitary
practices that can prevent the spread of illness for each of these
four methods of transmission.
Ans. Infections can spread through hand contact e.g. mumps, aerosol
droplets e.g. chicken pox via varicella zoster virus, contaminated food and
drink e.g. food poisoning by infection with staphylococcus and animals e.g.
rabies.
These infections can be prevented by proper sanitary habits. The
spread of infections through contact can be controlled by hand washing
regularly. Food must be washed and cooked properly to avoid contaminants
from causing infection. Children should be taught to stay away from wild
animals and all pets must be vaccinated and kept thoroughly clean. Spread
via aerosol droplets can be prevented by keeping children away from dirty
places and teaching them to cover their mouths when they sneeze or yawn.
2. Review your course text readings on role modeling, especially
pages 392396, and explain why adults should model good health
behaviors for children. Describe three different health behaviors you
might model for children and their families. For each, describe at
least one step you could take to help children, and possibly their
families, adopt these behaviors.
Ans. The best way to ensure hygiene in children is to role model good habits
ourselves. Children must be shown through example to wash hands
frequently and to bathe daily. Adults should keep their surroundings clean by
throwing litter in the dustbin no matter where they are so that children may
follow them. Also eat healthy foods and avoid junk food so that children can
see it as an example.
Teachers can allocate prizes for students who eat the least junk food in
a week as a point to encourage the kids and their families to adopt healthy
eating. They can award extra points for the kids who always throw their litter
in the class dustbin and even outside in the playground. They can also make

hand washing timetables and send them home to parents requesting them to
fill in the times their kid washes his hands. Such measures can go a long way.

3. Early childhood professionals are not expected to diagnose

serious illnesses; however, they should be able to identify symptoms
that may indicate infectious diseases common in young children.
Imagine, for example, that a 3-year-old arrives at school in the
morning
with
a
runny
nose. The mucus is clear, and he has no other obvious symptoms
except for a slight cough. Because his symptoms are mild, his
teacher decides to allow him to stay at school, but she continues to
observe him closely throughout the day to see if his condition
worsens. Review Tables 12-1 through 12-4 (pp. 464471) in your text
and identify possible illnesses this child might have. Describe the
symptoms you would look for if you were his teacher. Under what
conditions would you contact a family member and/or emergency
medical personnel?
Ans. The child may have a foreign body in the nose, flu, cold, allergy, rhinitis,
measles and sinusitis.
In cases of foreign body one should look for a unilateral nasal
discharge, in other cases for nasal congestion, reddish nose, tiredness and
inattentiveness, headache and sneezing, drowsiness and the childs refusal
to play.
In all such cases one should be alert to development of fever,
intensifying of headache, any changes in the color of the mucus, strong
suspicion of a foreign body, excessive sneezing and watering of eyes and
must contact the parents or the school doctor.