Is feces also exposed To air ?

[Milan767]

Hi my baby may have swallowed Feces at day care centre of 5 months

1) I have read that feces will also die after leaving the body once it hits the air


2) reason why I asked this is air is not penetrating inside the feces so hiv can be alive inside feces or if blood was mixed inside the feces /poop  ?

to be clear feces does not provide air tight environment like syringes do correct?

So that means by baby is safe ? Because feces is also dead once outside the body for hiv ?

[Sara_MHModerator]

Your post was fully and completely answered that your scenario is NOT a risk for HIV transmission.

****  thread closed ***

[AnxiousNoMore]

The situation involves personal contact with an object in air  (feces.). You will be happy to learn that baby had no risk, because you can't get hiv from personal contact except unprotected penetrating vaginal or anal, neither of which happened and didn't share hollow needles to inject with which is the only other way to acquire hiv - there are only 3 ways to get hiv. Analysis of large numbers of infected people over the 40 years of hiv history has proven that people don't get hiv in the way you are worried is a risk.
HIV is a fragile virus in air or saliva and is effectively instantly dead in either air or saliva so the WORST that could happen is dead virus rubbed baby, and obviously anything which is dead cannot live again so you are good. Blood and cuts would not be relevant in baby's situation since the hiv has become effectively dead, so you don't have to worry about them to be sure that baby is safe.
There is no reason for a person to test when they are safe. The advice took into consideration that the other person might be positive, so move on and enjoy life instead of thinking about this non-event. hiv prevention is straightforward since there are only 3 ways you can become infected, so next time you wonder if baby had a risk, ask yourself this QUESTION. "Did baby do any of the 3?" Then after you say "No, baby didn't" you will know that it's time to move on back to your happy life.
No one got hiv from what baby did during 40 years of hiv history and no one will get it in the next 40 years of your life either. Baby can do that any time and be safe.

[Milan767]

I understand

All I want to ask for future Refrence as well
1) That feces is exposed to air as well right so hiv INSIDE feces will instantly die outside the body

Even if air is not penetrating INSIDE the feces ,

For educational purposes I want TO KNOW  feces does not provide air tight environment like  syringes right ?

[GuitarRox]

Is this an HIV question? If so, no risk for HIV at all.  HIV is only transmitted in specific ways, having unprotected vaginal or anal sex or sharing IV drug needles.  Your child was not at risk for HIV.  HIV is also deactivated by air and saliva.

If it was your child's own feces, there is no risk of that. We called the doctor about our child once who got their diaper off and got their own feces in their mouth (how gross is that) and the doctor said it is not harmful to someone to eat their own feces (how gross is that) but someone else's would contain bacteria.  This article says if your child eats a small amount, the toxicity is minimal.  However, if your child gets anything like a fever, diarrhea, vomiting or nausea, call your doctor. The article states that more than a full mouthful of feces is when it gets more dangerous for a bad reaction. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-happens-if-you-eat-poop#in-children  Change childcare situations, that's unacceptable.

[Milan767]

Thank you for you response I need ONE CLARIFICATION ONLY


2) feces because it’s solid air might not penetrate inside feces that doesn’t mean. Hiv will be  alive inside the feces  or even if blood mixed INSIDE feces ?

Feces does not provide air tight environment like syringes do ?

That’s my question

Bottom line is hiv will die in feces as soon as it’s outside the body so my baby cannot get hiv because the hiv is dead in feces also


Just this one clarification and my mind will be at ease

[GuitarRox]

The only thing you need to focus on is a person including your child will NOT get HIV from feces.  This is not a risk.  Period.

[Paxiled]

While there is no HIV risk, I'm wondering why that's the only disease you're worried about?  While kids do tend to put all sorts of things in their mouths including feces and don't get sick, often they do get sick and feces are full of other things that are obviously not intended for one's mouth.   I wouldn't spend a lot of time worrying about it, but again, don't obsess so much about HIV.  Learn how it spreads.  But also learn about other diseases and how they spread so you can tell if something is off with your child.  Peace.

[Sillymistake87]

This is no risk for HIV at all. However I would be having words with the daycare regarding hygiene and child supervision....