"Children have been blowing out candles for years ... and the infections that can spread are natural and your body can build up a resistance to them."
She was aware of extreme cases of obsessive compulsive parents who cleaned everything - "and that strips a child's immunity".
"We have got low incident rates of child infections ... but it's not the end of the world if a child does get a cough or a cold that can easily spread between children."
Tauranga mum Deisha Zilinois believed living in a sterile environment was a good way to keep her 5-month-old son healthy.
She bathed her son twice a day, sanitised her hands after every nappy change and kept the rubbish outside to reduce the spread of germs.
"I do keep my house very clean but I do believe children should get outside and play in the dirt. I don't like the idea of my son getting sick but I know he needs to build up a resistance [to germs]," she said.
Tauranga Regional Free Kindergarten Association principal Peter Monteith said there was no substance to the recommendations and local kindergartens would not be changing procedures.
"Unlike our Australian colleagues, the Health Research Council of New Zealand does not have any role developing health guidelines, other than funding health research that might produce evidence that guideline developers might use."
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