Infants are the most vulnerable population due to their total dependence on adults and weak immune systems. Specifically, children at this age are susceptible to airborne infections. According to the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH, n.d.), “Infants and toddlers have a high respiratory rate and a larger lung surface area concerning their body weight” (p. 17). As a result, any germs present in the environment have more opportunities to enter an infant’s body and spread throughout it, causing diseases. Considering the effect such infections can have on infants’ health, caretakers must ensure the absence of pathogens that harm children.
An environment containing infections is dangerous due to the pressure put on the immune system. If safety measures cannot protect human health from pathogens, the immune system is the only remaining line of defense. Whereas adults have a high protection threshold, infants are not as strong. Bacteria can quickly invade an infant’s organism and release toxins that may damage the host’s tissue (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, n.d.). Children in infancy do not have sufficient resources to fight off infections on their own, which necessitates outside medical assistance. Therefore, any environment that has a large number of herbs is potentially hazardous for infants.
To minimize the chances of infant disease, caregivers should be aware of the source of infections. The most effective way to educate them is to inform them of the germs’ danger before they can start caring for the recently born child. If caretakers are biological parents, doctors can relate the important information regarding infections when the infant is ready to be discharged from the birth center. If the caretakers are not related to the infant, this information should be passed on to them before they are permitted to adopt the child. In both cases, caretakers will be able to adequately protect the offspring due to the knowledge of the airborne infections.
All efforts should be focused on preventing bacteria from contaminating the infants’ bodies. Breastfeeding is an example of a proper infection prevention measure. Pawenang and Nikmah (2022) note that “it can improve their digestive responses to the exposure of microorganisms to the gastrointestinal tract and limit the penetration of bacteria into the bloodstream through the gastrointestinal mucosa” (p. 94). However, it is also important to ensure the absence of pathogens in the environment. According to Heinonen et al. (2019), “Of all respiratory viruses that affect infants, RSV and RV represent the leading pathogens causing acute disease (bronchiolitis) and are associated with the development of recurrent wheezing and asthma” (p. 15). In most cases, infection prevention is achieved by following basic hygiene procedures, such as washing hands and keeping the surface of rooms with infants in them clean (Shiu et al., 2019). Combined, these measures should minimize the probability of airborne viruses contaminating infants’ bodies.
Altogether, it should be evident that infant health is extremely susceptible to germs found in the surrounding environment. Any contact with airborne viruses can be hazardous for children’s health due to the insufficiently prepared immune system (Minnesota Department of Public Health [MDPH], n.d.). Doctors should inform caretakers that breastfeeding and basic infection control measures are the most effective tools for preventing children from contracting respiratory diseases. All subsequent health promotion should be focused on educating caregivers on the variety of bacteria and germs that can affect infants.
References
Alabama Department of Public Health. (n.d.). Module four: Creating a healthy environment for infants and toddlers in early childhood settings.
Heinonen, S., Rodriguez-Fernandez, R., Diaz, A., Rodriguez-Pastor, S. O., Ramilo, O., & Mejias, A. (2019). Infant immune response to respiratory viral infections.Immunology and Allergy Clinics, 39(3), 361-376.
Minnesota Department of Public Health. (n.d.). Children’s environmental health.
Pawenang, E. T., & Nikmah, S. L. (2022). Contribution of environmental factors and infectious diseases towards infant mortality in Rembang District. Unnes Journal of Public Health, 11(1). Web.
Shiu, E. Y., Leung, N. H., & Cowling, B. J. (2019). Controversy around airborne versus droplet transmission of respiratory viruses: Implication for infection prevention.Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases, 32(4), 372-379.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). Healthcare environmental infection prevention and control.