Beware public diaper-changing areas.

• Position: Health - Brief Article

"Never put your child's bare bottom on a public diaper changing area unless you are able to disinfect the area yourself. You might be exposing your child to the Streptococcus faecalis bacteria, which causes urinary tract infections, E coli, or rotavirus, a leading cause of childhood diarrhea--and hospitalization--in children under two years of age," warns Catharine Shaner, a pediatrician with the American Safety and Health Institute.

For many parents, using a public diaper-changing area, such as those in department stores and airports or at rest stops, is convenient, but it may be putting the infant at risk for illness. "To the naked eye, these public diaper stations or `decks' may appear clean and sanitized, but they can actually be loaded with harmful viruses and bacteria. They're not as clean as they are convenient," Shaner points out. She...