Poor child hygiene 'can hurt parents financially'

Children with poor knowledge of hygiene are more likely to cause their parents a financial loss, according to one expert.

Dr Carol Cooper, family health expert, said that when children are ill, it forces parents to take time off work, often unpaid, which can have long-term financial consequences.

Her comment follows the publication of a new report by Carex which showed that 30 per cent of primary school children have missed a period of school due to an illness that could be prevented by better hygiene.
Furthermore, in 61 per cent of cases, the children were suffering from common colds, flu, sickness bugs and diarrhoea, all of which could possibly have been avoided if the children had been taught the importance of following basic hygiene practices such as washing hands.

Dr Cooper pointed out that children need to be reminded to wash their hands, as the hustle and bustle of a school day often causes them to forget.

The specialist pointed out that this can have significant consequences if not addressed at an early age, however.

"Teachers especially are always concerned that absence has an effect on a child's education, and of course their socialising, but it's not just their learning that's at risk - it also affects parents' pockets," she said.

According to the Carex report, 79 per cent of parents have to take time off school to care for their offspring, with 40 per cent of this figure doing so without being paid.

"I think schools tend not to teach children to wash their hands or to remind them to wash their hands, and there is a Hands Up for Hygiene resource pack which will help," she concluded.

Posted by Stephen Tate

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