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My husband and I are expecting a baby in a few months, and we are busy interviewing pediatricians. I’ve read that having separate waiting rooms for sick and healthy kids is a good idea and will keep our baby from catching other kids’ illnesses. Do you feel this should be a requirement for choosing a pediatrician? If not, what can we do to prevent our child from catching others germs? |
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(Karen Sokal-Gutierrez, M.D., M.P.H.) The doctor’s office is a place that many children, healthy and sick, spend time each day. The more contact your baby has with other children, the more contact he has with germs and illnesses. Illnesses are spread when children cough into the air, touch each other and handle toys or surfaces that other children have touched or drooled on.
The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy titled “Infection Control in Physicians’ Offices.” This policy recommends the following measures to minimize the spread of diseases in doctors’ offices:
- Separate waiting areas for well and sick children. Although the policy states that this is preferable, it also states that there are no studies proving that separate waiting areas reduce the spread of illnesses.
- Avoiding crowding and minimizing waiting times.
- Cleaning and disinfecting toys, play tables and floors regularly. The policy recommends that medical offices use only washable toys and clean the toys daily.
When you interview pediatricians, you might ask how they minimize the spread of illness in the office. Since separate waiting rooms have never actually been proven to be effective, this should not necessarily be a requirement for choosing a pediatrician. But you should add it to the other factors that you are weighing—such as the doctor’s style of communication, accessibility and other office policies—in making your decision (For more information on this topic, see my article titled “Choosing a Doctor for Your Child” at this website - link below).
Remember, in the first year of life babies are at greatest risk for catching illnesses since their immune systems are not fully developed. Here are some other tips for reducing your baby’s chance of catching an illness in the waiting room:
Breastfeed your baby. This helps boost her immunity and protects her from illnesses.
Avoid sitting near a child who is coughing.
Hold your baby or keep your baby in a car seat in the waiting room to minimize the number of surfaces and toys that she touches.
Take your own books and toys to the waiting room.
Wash your own and your child’s hands at the end of the medical visit.
Remember, illnesses are an inevitable fact of life, especially for young children. If it’s any comfort, every illness your child gets helps build her immune system and protect her from illnesses in the future.
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The information provided in the Fisher-Price babygear website is general in nature
and only intended for basic informational purposes. If you have specific questions,
consult your healthcare provider. |
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