STOP THE SPREAD

Wash, wash, wash your hands.

“If your child has a cold and cough, pay particular attention to washing your hands when you come into contact with mucus and secretions from the eyes and nose,” says Harley Eisman, medical director of Pediatric Emergency Services at the Montreal Children’s Hospital. “If the child is suffering from a gastrointestinal illness, your hands need to be washed after coming in contact with vomit or stool, and after changing a diaper.”

Good old soap and water

is still the best choice. Scrub for 20 seconds, and don’t miss between your fingers, under your nails and under rings. An alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 per cent alcohol is an effective alternative to soap and water.

Parents often stress over disinfecting

the entire house in the face of an illness, but Eisman says they should really just focus on frequently touched surfaces, such as remote controls, counter and table edges, doorknobs, railings, toys, feeding chairs and strollers. A disinfecting spray or wipe will do the trick or “a quarter of a cup of bleach in a gallon of water is an appropriate substitute.” Sponges trap and breed bacteria, so disposable wipes or washable cloths are best.

Wash the sick child’s bedding,

clothes and towels — even stuffed animals — in warm water.