A considerable number of children, especially below the age of 3 years attend day-care across the world. This could be attributed to the fact that more and more mothers have started working over the past few decades, which indicates that day-care centres now play a vital role in promoting child health.¹ While there are benefits of early childhood education at these centers, day-care attendance is an established risk factor for respiratory tract infections.^1,2 Moreover, research indicates that general practitioner consultations and antibiotic prescription rates are higher in day-care attendees.² This warrants the need for interventions to promote healthy behaviors among children and staff of these educational settings to reduce the incidence of such diseases. Considering that play contributes to brain development, playful strategies such as stories told by puppets, card games, and simulation of nasal hygiene in front of the mirror should be encouraged. A study reported that children learned healthy nasal hygiene behaviors when supported by adults that adopted playful strategies for health education.¹ Furthermore, researchers have suggested that use of nasal saline can help in alleviating symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections by eliminating excess mucus, reducing congestion, and improving breathing. Use of saline can also reduce the dependence on other medications such as antihistamines, decongestants, antibiotics, and corticosteroids among children. Moreover, no serious adverse effects have been reported. Thus, it appears to be a valuable therapeutic support with a good tolerability profile in infants and children.³

References

1. Costa P, Ermini T, Sigaud CHS. Effects of an educational playful intervention on nasal hygiene behaviors of preschoolers: a quasi-experimental study. Health Promot Perspect. 2019;9(1):50-54.
2. de Hoog ML, Venekamp RP, van der Ent CK, et al. Impact of early daycare on healthcare resource use related to upper respiratory tract infections during childhood: prospective WHISTLER cohort study. BMC Med. 2014;12:107.
3. Chirico G, Quartarone G, Mallefet P. Nasal Congestion in Infants and Children: A Literature Review on Efficacy and Safety of Non-Pharmacological Treatments. Minerva Pediatr. 2014 Dec;66(6):549-57.