How your child's teddy could trigger food poisoning: 80% of cuddly toys harbour harmful bacteria - while one in four are contaminated with faeces

It has healing powers, soothing your child in their time of despair.  It accompanies your little person everywhere they go - on holiday, to the park and to bed.  But while their teddy bear may appear to be your child's best friend, the cuddly toy could pose a potential health risk.  Experts have warned 80 per cent of teddies harbour bacteria that can trigger a bout of food poisoning, while tests revealed one in four contained traces of faeces.  Research, conducted by Dettol, found 90 per cent of children regularly drop their beloved toys on the floor, where they can pick up dirt and germs.   Three out of four bears do not get washed after a child is ill, and one in five have never been washed.  Microbiologists swab-tested a variety of children's teddies and found that more than 80 per cent were contaminated with staphylococcus spp, a pathogen that can cause food poisoning.  Furthermore almost a quarter contained coliforms, indicating a possible presence of harmful organisms.  Hygiene expert Dr Lisa Ackerley told MailOnline: 'Anything that children put in their mouth should be hygienically cleaned but it is often difficult to get a child to let you wash their favourite teddy, which means they can become very dirty.'  She advises regularly putting your child's toy through the washing machine and using an anti-bacterial laundry cleanser, such as Dettol's, which kills 99.9 per cent of bacteria.  Dr Ranj Singh, a GP and children's health expert, added: 'Children can bring colds and flu into the home and spread the bugs around.  'For every child that gets the flu, eight family members will come down too.  'It is important to pay attention to hygiene especially when a child is ill and protect those who are vulnerable.'  As part of the Care For Your Bear campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the germs lurking on your child's teddy, Dettol has put together a guide on how to reduce the risk of your child falling ill:
       Wash your child's bear at a low temperature with an anti-bacterial cleanser, which will work alongside your usual detergent    
Avoid cross contamination by washing cuddly toys on their own, separate from the regular laundry. As well as preventing discolouration it stops bacteria from other garments ending up on the teddy     Dry the teddy naturally.
Tumble dryers can be too harsh on most soft toys and increase the risk of damage to shape, fur and small parts like the eyes    
For extra protection put the teddy into a netted laundry bag or pillow case before putting it in the wash    
Give the teddy a regular sponge bath to remove small smudges and build-ups of dirt