hygiene suggestions needed

Post Reply New Topic

My son is very prone to bacterial infections lately; seems like he gets impetigo every other week. Now he has cellulitis of the eye, which is a potentially very serious condition although fortunately it does not seem to be a bad case. But it's made me realize we really need to take action.

I suspect the problem may be linked to poor hygiene. I've resumed sanitzing his hands after school, something I used to do regularly. Changed his bathroom towel to disposables. Will wash his pillowcases more frequently, though honestly, to really make an impact there I would have to wash *all* his bedding every single day, the way he sleeps.

Any suggestions for how I can reinforce hand washing or make it less unpleasant? He really dislikes it and probably isn't doing a sufficient job.

I don't know if this'll help, but when I was a kid I found it much more appealing to brush my teeth and such when I got firm rules on it like "you have to brush for two minutes."

It may help if you tell him that "washing your hands" means "scrubbing them for two refrains of the Happy Birthday Song."

My advice: be explicit in what exactly you want him to do.

I'm not sure how old your son is, but you might want to talk to him about the flesh eating bacteria and other antibiotic resistant bacterial infections.

He should generally wash his hands after he uses the restroom, before he eats, and when he has something on them.

Here is a question, are there ever times when he willingly washes his hands?

Also, why doesn't he like to wash his hands? A lot of times parents assume that it's a sensory issue, and it might be, but it could also be a transition issue.

That doesn't seem normal to me. Kids are filthy animals in general. Have you asked your doctor why your son seems so prone to infections? I know hygiene doesn't help, but that can't be the only thing going on... unless he's like rolling in feces and roadkill... which I'm sure he's not. Kidding aside, I'm just curious if there isn't an underlying medical issue going on...

That said.. My son does not like soap on his face. He is terrified of getting it in his eyes... It wasn't until age 8 that he started washing his hair on his own, but we still haven't managed regular, proper face washing. We go through a lot of baby wipes. They aren't foamy or drippy and, for whatever reason, he isn't fearful of stinging eyes. I think they're easier to control than a handful of suds. He uses them for his hands too.

My son and I struggle every night over his bathing. Most of the time he doesn't want to because he's afraid he'll miss one of his shows.. So, we've learned to plan ahead. Each evening he has to pick the show he'd least mind missing... He swears he'll jump in, clean quick, wash his hair, and get out. If something goes wrong, I am to come and give him a 5 minute warning before his next show starts... Once he's in the shower... he's fine.. I quite often end up having to give the 5 minute warning.

I am curious. You said " Will wash his pillowcases more frequently, though honestly, to really make an impact there I would have to wash *all* his bedding every single day, the way he sleeps." Does he wet the bed? Or sweat profusely? I can't figure out why you would have to wash his bedding every day.

Hmmm I just remember something my mom used to use when I was a kid.. pHisoderm... I looked it up, they still make it. It's a pH balanced sudsless, soapless cleanser. The idea is that the foamy part of soap spreads infection.

Sorry to ask.. but this is physician diagnosed impetigo, right? And how old is your son?

Does he tend to get conjunctivitis often? If so, that's probably a case of wiping nose, rubbing eye.

I'm just remembering when my son was younger. He had oober sensitive skin. Everything gave him rashes and red spots. Even his own snot. I had to clean his face constantly or within minutes of him rubbing his nose or eating something, he'd break out in bright red, angry patches... Same with diapers, he had to be changed immediately.. and was also prone to yeast infections.

Sorry if I seem all over the place.. I'm just randomly typing as things come to me.. It's past my bedtime. LOL

One suggestion. I had a sensory issue with the Basic/slimey feeling soap gives when washing. It still feels like it never washes off. However, not only was this not an issue, but I had fun washing with foam soap (and its dispenser; I got from our local pharmacy CVS).

Last edited by Infoseeker on 08 Apr 2011, 9:14 am, edited 1 time in total.

i found it easier to get my kids to wash when i bought the foaming kind of soap. and then even easier when i bought an automatic soap dispenser. the novelty really helped. you can try having him help you choose the soap, letting him smell them at the store if the scent is part of his objection. try different styles as well, he may respond differently to a gel than a cream, or to a foam than a gel.

does he use a schedule, posted rules, or even just casual rules? i have found my autie responds much better if i put things in terms of rules. hes young and rule bound enough that a few instances of telling him something is a rule overrides his objections pretty easily. he also really likes schedules, so inclusion there makes things more acceptable to him.

like Burnt, we rely a lot on baby wipes =) for a busy kid, they are much easier.

I agree that it seems odd that he's getting so many infections: since impetigo is highly contagious from person to person, I'd look for the source of contact (and I agree that a discussion with your doctor is also in order, just to make sure there isn't something else you can do) Is it likely he's picking it up at school (is there an outbreak there?) How is the school handling it? How are the shared items at the school cleaned? (I forget your son's age - are they using/sharing nap mats? How are those cleaned?) I remember we had an outbreak years ago when I was doing afterschool care - I felt so bad for the poor little girl; it's no fun at all.

I think you're spot-on with sanitizing sheets and blankets, but you might want to look into his toys and other items as well - a run through the hot dishwasher is enough, if you don't want to mess around with bleach (soaking in a very mild bleach solution is the best sanitizer, but many people prefer not to use it; I've heard a vinegar solution might work as well - but the more trustworthy sources suggest bleach)

Impetigo also tends to occur more where there are breaks in the skin - does he scratch himself a lot? Can you make sure his fingernails are trimmed? Maybe making sure any cuts are bandaged well might help in the future.

I do have some concerns there might be an underlying issue... I also used to get frequent infections until I got my blood sugar under better control and became extremely rigorous about my own hygiene, taking care of cuts, etc. We'll be taking him back to the doctor today and I'll inquire. But it may be just that we are in a contagion hot spot, which I was told by an infectious disease specialist I saw. Exposure to the germs is pretty much inevitable.

He uses bar soap, because he doesn't like liquid. Singing offends his big kid dignity. I do have a minute glass for him for tooth brushing, but he tends to want to hold it -- I'll try making a rule for using it. I think a lot of it is just habit and I'll try putting a sign with rules up for him.

My son is learning to remember to wash simply because we never stop repeating it. Every time we hear a door in that part of the house we call out, "wash!" There was a time we had to walk him back, but now its just the calling. Which over time, has turned into, "mom! I did!" Still, old habits die hard

I will say that seems to be a boy thing, not just an AS thing. I got his friends laughing when I did it to them, called out "wash!", because it seems they forget, as well. I hadn't meant to do that to guests, but now it seems they expect it

Just make sure he can do it on his own; as his own habit. And not due to a habit of responding to your voice.

Last edited by Infoseeker on 08 Apr 2011, 8:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Liuid soap and foam soap (looks like a liquid but the pump transforms it into foam) are very different from a sensory standpoint. My son can only really tolerate the latter. It's worth adding to your arsenal.

We have tried the foam soap in the past and it didn't seem to make much difference to him. Might be worth trying again.

So the doctor today didn't think there were signs of an underlying problem and was of the opinion, as I suspected, that this is just a case of having the germs in the house and not being able to kill them off completely. (Or bringing them home again if you do.) She recommended bleach baths as an ongoing preventative; luckily he has just switched over from showers to baths, so that shouldn't be too hard to implement.

bleach baths sounds harsh. If you can take him to a pool with chlorine in it, and some how get him to play in it.

I've had them myself, for eczema, they're okay. You need to be careful not to use too much, of course.

Germs are not avoidable, if basic hygiene doesn't help him, try boosting his immune system with good food and exercises. Maybe some probiotic supplements. Most kids aren't too careful about washing and they aren't sick all the time. It's quite normal to get sick a few times a year. It may sound odd but is it likely that you have been too strict about cleanliness? Like if you change clothes or towels after just one use, washing and disinfect everything all the time and bathe them daily? That might actually weaken their immune systems. Bathing kids once or twice a week is usually quite enough unless they roll in the dirt everyday. Ditch any antibacterial cleaners or those containing bleach. You want a clean home, not a sterile home.