SYDNEY childcare centres are feeling the brunt of the swine flu pandemic, with youngsters at high risk of infecting their peers.
Health Department figures released last week revealed that 94 children aged under five were in hospital with the disease in NSW.
A further 225 children underfive have been confirmed as swine flu sufferers.
NSW Health Director of Communicable Diseases Dr Jeremy McAnulty said it was imperative that parents kept their sick children away from child care.
"Childcare centres are places where small children congregate and, because small children are not aware of the importance of good hygiene, there is an increased risk of contracting diseases,'' he said.
"Parents and childcare centres need to work together to reduce the spread of infectious diseases.
"Childcare centres already have stringent infection-control procedures in place, but it is important that parents co-operate by not sending their child if they are sick.''
Care For Kindies childcare centre at Belfield, in Sydney's inner west, had a confirmed case of swine flu involving a four-year-old girl.
A spokeswoman said the girl had not attended the centre for six days before being diagnosed, but all precautions were still taken to minimise the risk of the flu spreading.
She said 120 parents were contacted by phone and were told that if their child presented flu-like symptoms they were to stay home.
But Child Care NSW president Lyn Connolly said parents should not panic and pull their children out of day care.
"Honestly, I think childcare centres are probably the safest places to be in the country at the moment,'' she said.
"All equipment and toys are washed and disinfected after every use, every single day.
"When children come to the centres in the morning, their hands are washed immediately, so that the home germs remain home germs and the same procedure happens before the children go home.''
Ms Connolly said children in all 11,000 childcare centres monitored by Child Care NSW were ``carefully trained in matters of hygiene''.
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