Hello! My name is Julie Hassler and I am the Health Specialist
for Child and Youth Services at Fort Campbell. I am excited to be
working with all the CYS children and staff. Each month I will feature
a different
topic on the website so check back each month for information on
a variety of health topics as well as information on disease outbreaks
and
vaccination recommendations. Our old articles can be viewed in the
Nurse's Corner
archive.
If there is anything you would like
to know, please “Ask
the Nurse”, by
emailing me here or
use the form to your right!
Frequently Asked Questions
I was told there was a case of CMV in my child’s daycare room and I am pregnant, what is CMV and does this pose any threat to me because of my pregnancy?
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CMV is the abbreviation for Cytomegalovirus. CMV is a very common viral infection in young children ages 1-3. In fact up to 70% of children in this age group who attend child care centers excrete CMV. Typically the virus does not even have any symptoms in young children. The virus is spread through person-to-person contact with infected secretions, stool, and urine. The spread of the virus is controlled by careful hand washing by staff, children, and family members. Because the virus is so common and can be excreted for so long (sometimes years), excluding children with CMV to reduce disease transmission has no benefits.
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CMV is also spread from mother to infant before, during, and after birth. Pregnant women and women of child-bearing age who work in child care settings should discuss the risk of CMV with their primary health care provider. There is a blood test for CMV antibodies that will show whether a woman is already immune or susceptible to CMV.
How can I tell if my infant has plain old diaper rash or a yeast infection diaper rash?
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Typically a yeast infection in the diaper area will be pinker than usual skin with either a shiny red rash or clusters of red bumps. The rash is often worse in the creases and the skin may crack or ooze in severe cases. The red bumps and rash are caused by a yeast infection produced by Candida. Because yeast infections are fungal infections, it is important that the child be treated with a medicine to reduce the quantity of fungus in the diaper area to a level that the body can control. The over-the-counter diaper creams used to prevent diaper rash will not heal a yeast infection. If you suspect your child has a yeast infection in the diaper area, talk with your child’s primary health care provider.
Why is my child sent home from day care every time he has diarrhea?
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Although diarrhea can by caused by changes in diet and medications, the most frequent cause of diarrhea in child care settings is a viral illness. The most common virus associated with diarrhea in the winter months is rotavirus, which causes watery diarrhea. Diarrhea is spread through the fecal-oral route ( fecally contaminated food, hands, or surfaces touched by objects or hands put into the mouth). Good hand washing, sanitation, and exclusion of children with diarrhea are the only way to prevent diarrhea from spreading. It is important that all three controls are in order because rotavirus can quickly cause severe diarrhea disease in young children. Very young children are the most vulnerable to the effects of severe diarrhea because of the potential to suffer severe dehydration within a few hours. Therefore, while it may be a burden at times for parents to pick up their child each time he has diarrhea, it is an important step in preventing epidemic diarrhea disease in child care centers.
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