Day Care Centers More Weary of Fevers

Online, December 3, 2009 (Newswire.com) - Holly Springs, NC - December 2, 2009 - This year Santa Claus is not the only one making a list and checking it twice. Day care centers are making a list, too - a list of "must-haves" that help prevent the spread of swine flu and are asking parents to help keep them well-stocked with these items.

These days products that help combat spread of H1N1 are in high demand, especially at child care facilities. Sales of hand sanitizer, soap and antibacterial wipes have skyrocketed. As of October 3, 2009, dollar sales of hand sanitizers were $118.4 million, up 70.5 percent over the same period last year ($69.4 million).

A thermometer known as the Temple Touch, has also become a must-have item for daycare centers.

"This year many of our members are asking parents to donate items to keep their facility clean and kids healthy," said Andi Schleicher, Executive Director of the Child Day Care Association (CDCA). "Most recently, some of our members started using the new Temple Touch thermometer and love it because it allows them to practice better hygiene. It's a must-have that more centers are adding to their most-wanted list."

"One reason we have seen a spike in product demand is due to the simplicity and convenience of the Temple Touch thermometer. Parents and child care centers prefer it because it only takes a few seconds and is non-invasive, so it doesn't spread germs easily from child to child like other types of thermometers that require you to use it in the ear or under the tongue," said John Wilson, spokesperson for Medisim-USA, the makers of the thermometer.

Stricter Policies on Fever, Too
Since children are at high-risk for the contagious virus, centers are under more scrutiny than ever for parents. As one recent TIME magazine article put it, to parents daycare "centers look less like protective bastions and more like potential H1N1 incubators."

In response, some day care centers have implemented stricter policies on hygiene and take a more proactive approach to keep symptomatic children away, especially when it comes to fever.

"Since the Centers for Disease Control asks child care facilities to conduct daily health checks and fever is a key indicator of the flu, we hear of more centers sending kids home when they are running even a low grade fever, when before it was acceptable for kids to stay at the daycare center even if they were running a fever around 99 degrees," said Wilson.

Lisa Jones, Director of Webster Child Care, a Missouri affiliate of CDCA agrees. "We find ourselves taking temperature more often than usual, at the very first sign that a child may not be feeling 100 percent. We think the Temple Touch is the best thermometer in the world! "

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About Temple Touch:
The Temple Touch Thermometer is a conductive forehead thermometer that provides the convenience of a non-invasive temperature reading with the accuracy of an oral thermometer. Using Medisim's innovative R.A.T.E.™ technology, the thermometer provides accurate detection of the core body temperature using conduction in just six seconds by touching the thermometer to your temple. The thermometer is so gentle it can be used on a sleeping infant or child. For more information, please visit www.templetouchthermometer.com.

About Child Day Care Association
Since 1969, the Child Day Care Association (CDCA) has helped child care programs in St. Louis and surrounding areas produce high quality service to their communities. Over the past forty years, the CDCA has followed through with its mission to provide leadership and innovation in promoting quality child care, successful early childhood development and work/family balance. CDCA accomplishes this mission by assisting families in choosing quality child care, training child care professionals and administering child nutrition funding for child care programs. For more information, please visit www.childcarestl.org.