The effect of enhanced hygiene practices on absences due to infectious diseases among children in day care centers in Helsinki.

The study was conducted as an open, controlled cluster study. It included 60 DCCs for intervention and 228 DCCs as controls. The hygiene intervention program included 8 steps such as intensified handwashing among both children and staff, washing toys weekly, surfaces reachable by children were washed daily. The control DCC continued to follow their usual hygiene policies and practices. The main indicator was the occurrence of absences due to upper respiratory tract infections, otitis media, eye infection and diarrhea per child-month. In the intervention DCC absences due to infections reduced by 26% among under 3-year olds, but not among older children. Infection 2004;32:2-7.