Think about all the things you touch each day, or worse, think about all the things your child touches everyday. How many people may have touched them before you? We carry millions of germs on our hands. Most are harmless, but some cause illnesses such as colds, flu and diarrhea.

When we forget to wash our hands, or do not clean them properly, we can spread these germs to other people or give them to ourselves by touching our eyes, mouth, nose or cuts on our bodies. We also can pick up germs from objects such as doorknobs and stair railings, touched by other people who do not clean their hands properly.

Research results are clear; the single most important way to keep children healthy is to teach them to wash their hands. Help them start this important healthy habit when they are young. To reduce the risk of infection:
•    Wet hands with warm water to kill germs.
•    Place a small amount of soap in the palm of one hand.
•    Rub hands together quickly, rubbing soap between fingers, on backs of hands and lightly scratching fingernails on palms of hands. Rub for at least 10 seconds. Make it fun. Have your child sing a song while washing. Use Happy Birthday, the ABCs or your child’s favorite that takes at least 10 seconds to sing.
•    Rinse hands well with warm water, being sure to scrub while rinsing. Point fingers down in the sink. This will rinse germs off the hands.
•    Dry hands, making sure they are completely dry.    

Make sure your family has clean hands BEFORE you:
    •    Prepare or eat food.
    •    Treat a cut or wound.
    •    Tend to someone who is sick.
    •    Put in or take out contact lenses.
    •    Do any kind of activity that involves putting your fingers in or near your mouth and eyes.

Also clean your hands AFTER you:
    •    Go to the bathroom.
    •    Handle uncooked foods, especially raw meat.
    •    Eat.
    •    Blow or wipe your nose, cough or sneeze.
    •    Handle garbage.
    •    Tend to someone who is sick.
    •    Handle an animal.

And don’t forget to set a good example – clean your hands often and remind others to do the same. Good hand hygiene is one of the simplest and most effective ways to keep your family healthy.

Eileen Sherburne, RN, MSN, FNP, CRRN, is an advanced practice nurse at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.

FAST FACT: Children's Hospital of Wisconsin is expanding to meet the needs of our community. The 425,000 square foot addition will take the 236-bed hospital to 294 beds, with capacity for an additional 72 beds in the future. In 2005, patient days, a measure of hospital activity, exceeded levels projected for 2010. Hospital admissions, Emergency Department visits and outpatient visits all have significantly increased over the past five years. The new West Tower is scheduled to open in spring of 2009. For more information visit the Web site at www.chw.org.