We all want our children to have fun and get involved in activities that will help them, grow as person. It has been said that playing a musical instrument can help nourish, cultivate, and increase intelligence in children. Unfortunately some of these musical instruments can be making them sick. A study done by the Academy of General Dentistry found used woodwind and brass instruments to be highly contaminated with a variety of bacteria and fungi. These bacteria and fungi have been linked to infectious and allergic diseases both minor and serious. School instruments are used by many children participating in the school band so without the proper sanitizing these bacteria and fungi can live for weeks, even months. Testing was done on both instruments played regularly and those that had not been used for a month. The results were frightening 442 different bacteria were found, many of which were associated with staphylococcus, the cause of staff infections, as well as 58 molds and 19 yeasts. This mold in your child’s instrument can contribute to your child developing asthma, and the yeasts can cause skin infections around the mouth and lips. Being in contact with the mouth causes them to be a breeding ground for bacteria, similar to what dentist see in dentures, mouthguards, and toothbrushes. Research has shown that these bacteria can cause illness not treatable by normally prescribed antibiotics. So let’s keep our children healthy, by making sure there instrument are thoroughly and frequently sanitized.
