Should You Share?

“Timmy, share your toys with your brother.”
“Natalie, don’t be selfish!”

Parental pleas like these are often heard as mums and dads try to cultivate the virtue of sharing in their children. But with germs constantly on our minds, is this always a good thing? Dr Wong Chin Khoon, a paediatrician from the Paediatric Centre, tells Young Parents the what, when and why of sharing.

EYE MEDICATION
Risk level: High
The surfaces of our eyes are very sensitive, which makes them susceptible to infections. The medication’s container may touch the eye during application, so it’s possible for germs to transfer from one child to another. Also, using eye medication prescribed for someone else (or your own, from a previous infection) may cause a re-infection or a new one. To reduce the risk of infection, Dr Wong advises that you throw it away after you’ve recovered and buy a new one instead.

OTHER MEDICATION
Risk level of oral medicine: Low
Risk level of inhalers: High
If you don’t use the same spoon or syringe for the kids, over-the-counter syrup medicine is okay to share. But it’s safer to pour it into a measuring cup or spoon rather than use the syringe. While the contents are generally sterile and clean, Dr Wong says the chances of contamination are higher when syringes are dipped into the bottle, no matter how well you wash it. The contamination may encourage bacterial growth or a reaction with the bottle’s content.

Inhalers should never be shared, he says, because they are put directly into a child’s mouth and are in contact with saliva.

Will your kid get an infection from sharing a water bottle, nail clipper or shoes? Read the March 2010 issue of Young Parents for more expert advice.