Nursery World - Keep it clean

Two recent issues have featured articles on outdoor play using natural materials and both mentioned soil - 'Dig and delve' (7 April) and 'Go to ground' (14 April). However, there was no mention in either article of the potentially damaging bacteria to be found in garden soil. Even if there are no pets living there, outdoor gardens are play areas and lavatories for foxes, hedgehogs, badgers and other people's cats, to name but a few. The second article did mention making sure that children washed their hands after handling soil, but the first article specifically talked about babies and toddlers playing with soil. This cannot be safe - no-one can prevent a group of such young children from putting dirty hands in their mouths, let alone taking a taste as part of the activity.

Even if there are no pets living there, outdoor gardens are play areas and lavatories for foxes, hedgehogs, badgers and other people's cats, to name but a few. The second article did mention making sure that children washed their hands after handling soil, but the first article specifically talked about babies and toddlers playing with soil. This cannot be safe - no-one can prevent a group of such young children from putting dirty hands in their mouths, let alone taking a taste as part of the activity.

Perhaps one of your health correspondents could give us some details of exactly what damage the bacteria found in garden soil might do.

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