A couple of generations ago, families and those in contact with children with infectious diseases were strictly quarantined. Nowadays it is just the infected child that is excluded from other children.
Many infections can now be prevented by immunisation, but if a child contracts a highly infectious disease a period of exclusion is usually required to prevent it spreading. Suspect children should be kept in a separate room from others and sent home from nursery as soon as possible.
The most effective means of reducing the spread of the majority of infections is hand washing. Practitioners should ensure they always wash their hands before and after changing nappies, not just when a child has an infection. Children and adults should wash their hands after going to the toilet and before and after handling food.
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