Nosocomial or hospital-acquired infections have been associated with significant morbidity and mortality.1 They are a problem even in hospitals with above-average infection control programmes.2 On inpatient hospital units, paediatric patients have an increased risk for acquiring gastrointestinal and respiratory nosocomial infections. Such nosocomial infections have been shown to prolong hospital stays, worsen treatment outcomes and increase hospital costs.3 For these reasons, it is important to study interventions that may prevent nosocomial infections. Prevention methods that have been studied include hand hygiene and visitor screening, both of which have been shown to have little effectiveness in preventing …