Perspectiva de responsáveis quanto à prática de higienização de chupetas: um alerta em tempos de COVID-19

Abstract

Pacifiers can be considered as a vehicle for the transmission of microorganisms, being able to transmit even the new coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, since it is common for falls to occur and the child to re-introduce it into the oral cavity without cleaning and prior disinfection. The aim of this study was to conduct an experimental in vitro research to evaluate the effectiveness of four different pacifier cleaning methods for combating Candida albicans and, at another time, to estimate the knowledge of parents and family members about the hygiene of the pacifier and the consequences of their use, relating their perceptions to the reported sociodemographic conditions. For this, two studies were separated: a laboratory and a field study. For the first, specimens were used from pepeta® orthodontic nozzles that were subjected to different decontamination protocols (mechanical agitation with water, 2.5% sodium hypochlorite for 5 min, boiling water for 15 min and neutral detergent under mechanical stirring for 1 min). After microbial challenge, they were subjected to serial dilution and viable cell counts were performed to determine the proportion of contamination reduction. For the cross-sectional study, after ethical approval, a semi-structured questionnaire was applied to 130 parents and grandparents of children who maintained the habit of pacifiers or who interrupted it for a maximum of two years. In the in vitro study, 83% of fungal contamination was detected after vigorous cleaning with water, while the use of the other three methods eliminated 100% of the microorganism. For the cross-sectional observation, 104 questionnaires were considered for the sample, excluding those filled in incompletely. The mean age of the respondents was 32 years (sd = 9.6), most of whom were women (91.3%). The cleaning practice most cited by the participants was boiling and cleaning frequency once a day, in addition to other forms such as the use of detergent and association with running water, with 79.8% stating that they had never received guidance on the correct cleaning. It was concluded that the use of water for cleaning is effective, but it is interesting that it is associated with a disinfection method such as boiling, or with detergent or with the use of 2.5% sodium hypochlorite to ensure the decontamination of the object. Pacifiers should be considered as potential transmitters of microorganisms, and proper hygiene is essential. It is conclusive in this study that there are practical, economical and effective ways to carry out this disinfection process, which, however, do not reach the population, due to the difficult access to such information and the lack of knowledge of the possible problems that may arise from the non-decontamination of this object. Therefore, it is the function of child health professionals to promote the instruction of proper washing of these objects, as a way of guaranteeing the child's well-being.