(WIFR) – School reopenings are bringing germs back into classrooms across the country, but health experts say simple planning can help reduce children's risk of becoming seriously ill.
Healthy habits like hand hygiene are key to keeping your child healthy this school year. Doctors recommend that children get 9 to 11 hours of sleep each night and eat a nutritious diet that includes fruits, vegetables and protein. These simple habits combined can help strengthen your child's immune system, according to health experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts say up to 80 percent of infectious diseases are spread by contact.
Molina Healthcare Program Manager Rebecca Kidd says it's important to keep students in a clean and safe environment both in and out of school. She explains that doing your best to stay healthy will help get the year off to a good start. Preparing students for the new school year and meeting health requirements will ensure they have a clean and safe learning environment.
“Encouraging people to develop good habits like drinking water and fluids and washing their hands will help prevent respiratory illnesses that are more prevalent during the colder months,” Kidd said.
Five-year-old Theo Boosie is just a few days away from starting kindergarten, and his mother, Katie, says that while it's natural for him to get sick at school, she and her son are continuing to take safety precautions to keep germs at bay.
“We wash our hands a lot, after eating, after coughing, and if we cough or sneeze, we make sure we wipe them down,” Katie says. “We also try to get a good night's sleep, which is important.”
Vaccinations often play a big role in returning to school, and OSF nurse Bre Gendron explains that while vaccinations won't prevent a child from getting the infection, they can reduce the severity of symptoms.
“Our kids are just going to get sick,” Gendron said, “and it's our job to make sure they get enough sleep, eat healthy foods, and have their immune systems fight off the disease within three to seven days, and then they'll be fine.”
Gendron also explains that strep is one of the most common illnesses people can get during the first few weeks of school, and teaching kids not to share food and drink is the best way to keep them safe, she says.
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