What's Lurking in the Sandbox?

A Favorite Play Area May Harbor Viruses and Bacteria

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JACKSON, Wy., June 26, 1998 -- While little ones enjoy building castles, digging holes and rolling around in the sandbox, these popular play areas present the perfect environment for the spread of disease. In fact, playing in sandboxes may make a child more prone to contracting contagious viruses and bacteria, including those that cause warts, conjunctivitis and skin disorders.

"The sand can present hidden dangers, as children playing in close contact for long periods of time can precipitate the spread of viruses and bacteria to each other," says Dr. Johanna Baeuerle, a Rockland County, N.Y. dermatologist and consultant to Compound W One-Step Wart Remover for Kids. "Since children often have scrapes and cuts on their skin, such as on the hands or knees, microscopic organisms can easily enter the body, especially when they are kneeling and digging in the sand. The sandbox can literally be a bacterial/viral haven."

Wart Is It?

Caused by the virus known as Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), experts say the spread of warts is reaching epidemic proportions, with children the most likely sufferers. The virus enters through cuts and scrapes and can cause skin cells to multiply, forming a growth known as a wart. This virus can be spread via damp sand and from child to child.

Prevention is Key

While we can't protect our children from every microscopic organism, there are a few things parents can do to limit contact with these infectious germs:

• Keep your backyard sandbox covered when not in use, and change sand each year using hypo-allergenic sand.
  
  
• Go to parks where the staff maintains the sandboxes.
  
  
• Make sure your child is not the source of the virus. In the case of warts, use the new Compound W One-Step Wart Remover for Kids. It covers the wart with a fun, colorful bandage that contains the medicine -- 40 percent salicylic acid. "Getting rid of warts in children is important, since they can easily spread," says Dr. Baeuerle. "I recommend the new Compound W children's product because it has more medicine in it than other non-prescription products."
  
  
• Cover cuts and scrapes with adhesive bandages to prevent bacteria and viruses from entering the body.
  
  

CONTACT: Robin Russo, or Katrina Shindledecker of Robin Leedy & Associates, Inc., 914-241-0086, or Robinleedy@aol.com, for Compound W