What to look for to ensure a daycare is safe
Global News
An expert said an E. coli outbreak is beyond the norm and food safety should be a given when it comes to daycare. But that's not all parents should consider in making their choice.
An E. coli outbreak at several daycares in Calgary has infected more than 300 people and sent more than 20 children to hospital.
Many of those infected are children and have contracted hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe kidney complication.
Dr. Iris Gorfinkel, a family physician, told Global News’ The Morning Show on Friday that it’s a “very frightening disease because it can take a well child and turn them very sick, put them on dialysis as we’ve seen, and even be responsible for chronic kidney failure.”
It’s a nightmare for any parent.
Martha Friendly, executive director of the think-tank Childcare Resource and Research Unit, said there are several things parents should look for at daycares if they are wondering whether their centre is safe.
But she also stressed E. coli goes beyond regular daycare safety issues, telling Global News that the outbreak is not normal.
“Basic kinds of things like basic health and safety, like whether the food is safe, for example, are so basic that they should be givens,” she said, speaking from Toronto.
Alberta health inspectors visited the central kitchen for the Fueling Minds daycare network, the kitchen where the outbreak started, four times in 2023 before people got sick, with two violations noted and fixed.
A chemical engineer out of the University of Calgary is piloting what she says is a more efficient, cleaner lithium extraction process.
The World Health Organization has authorized the first mpox vaccine for children, a decision experts hope will help make immunizations more widely available.
California's public health department reported a possible case of bird flu in a child with mild respiratory symptoms, but said there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission.
The AER says the company must report any hazards that present a risk to public safety or the environment.
Trump nominated Oz as administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Howard Lutnick as his next U.S. commerce secretary, who would oversee tariff policy.
Bird flu has spread far and wide, infecting a range of species like chickens, skunks, cows, foxes and polar bears. But it's the pigs that have experts on high alert.
The CFIA has recalled E. coli-tainted carrots, following a U.S. health warning about the contaminated produce linked to one death and dozens of illnesses.
Health Canada said there was an issue with the braking system of the Stokke YOYO baby stroller, sold between August and October this year.
These editorial stories and interviews will focus on the people, companies, research, and innovations leading the environmental and sustainable movement in B.C.
Bennett had just returned from the school run last week when she found the mom and a baby raccoon unconscious, with one of the babies sleeping on the furniture.
B.C. health authorities have announced the first case of a human avian flu infection acquired in Canada, with the teenage patient in critical condition in hospital.