High Chairs win over Toilet Seats

That is when it comes to germs. 

A latest research shows that baby high chairs in restaurant have more bacteria on, than the average toilet seat. 

30 high chairs were tested from different restaurants and the team found out that - the amount of bacteria present  on high chairs averaged out at 147 per square centimeter - in comparison to public toilets which only averaged at eight per square centimeter.

The bacteria found included E-coli - a common bacteria that can cause diarrhea. Bacteria strands of  Staph aureus and enterococcus faecalis are all found. These two bacteria can cause upset stomach to children. These are serious for young children health and adults alike. 

Dr. Nicholas Moon from Microban, makers of antibacterial products, which conducted the research said: "The test results varied considerably and while some of the high chairs were relatively clean, others had concentrations of bacteria as high as 1,200 bacteria per square centimetre, which is worrying."

This is of great concern because young children's immune system is still weak.  Most children tend to touch a lot of things and put them in their mouths which makes them highly susceptible to germs. They even play around with their food and much of their food goes into tables and chairs. Parents are now being warned to ensure that high chairs are clean before use because of the risk that their child could be ill because of exposure to germs  lurking on it. 

A microbiologist from Queen Mary, University of London, Dr Ron Cutler, said: "While you would not expect a high chair to be as clean as a hospital it should certainly be preferable that they were cleaner than this report indicates. Children could potentially be getting ill as a result of contact with high chairs if this report is accurate. 'The chairs with cloth cushions on them are probably the worst culprits because these are hardest to keep clean during the course of the day."

This is not the first time that the cleanliness or otherwise of high chairs has been called into question. A study by the Hygiene Council in 2007 found that 60 per cent of food trays on baby high chairs in the home were found to hold Coliforms -  a bacteria that indicates that a surface has been contaminated by faecal matter, raw meat, soil or unwashed vegetables.

While this research was conducted in the USA,I would suspect that the high chairs in restaurants here in the Philippines would be lesser in bacteria contamination as we tend to be more thorough about our hygiene. But as parents, we should still do precautions.Before using high chairs, wipe it with a disinfectant or alcohol, to kill germs. We cannot bubble-wrap our babies but we still need to ensure our children's health for them to grow healthy and happy.

Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51035573981@N01/3280621008