Does your pediatrician disinfect/ wash their hands before touching a baby

[Ano]

Our pediatrician is very friendly, but I notice that he doesn't wash/ disinfect his hands after touching the doorknob (and then he would touch our baby right after).

During a routine check-up, for example, after closing the door, he touched the baby directly and also saw the mouth, and now I'm worried that his hands were contaminated after the contact with the knob. (He doesn't wash his hands after either, so, unless he washes his hands in a certain room after, they could carry germs to the next patients).

Since this is a doctor's practice where ill children have certainly come to visit, I am concerned that one day diseases will be transmitted to our baby. Is it common these days that pediatrician doesn't necessarily wash/ disinfect their hands first?

Would it be super rude if next time I kindly ask him to wash/ disinfect his hands? I'm not a germaphobe, but particularly with COVID still very much around I'd like to be on the safe side, but I'm afraid that he would then tell me to look for another pediatrician.

What would you do in my place?

At home I'm not so strict about washing my hands (since many people said we have to give our babies some germs to practice their immune system, lol), but in a place like doctor's practice I still feel it's risky if one touches the doorknob etc. and then immediately after touches a baby.

Thanks very much for your insight!

Yes it's basic hand hygiene to clean your hands before and after examining a patient. However, I would say unless your child is immune compromised or under 3 months of age then the risk is low. It is good to expose your child to some bacteria, that is what the immune system is designed for and it's how you build an immune system from regular exposure to every day bugs.
I will also say, that is absolutely your right to ask your doctor to clean his hands before examining your child, especially if he is looking inside their mouth for example.

I'd expect them to wash their hands after seeing each patient and shortly before seeing another patient (if the gap between patients is longer than usual - otherwise just washing once is fine) but not after touching a door knob.

Your baby does not need to be in a sterile environment. You sound pretty germophobe to me.

The viral and bacterial load from an ordinary door knob is not high. Germs don't survive well on surfaces long and contact is brief.

Far more important to focus on this where there actually surfaces with much higher volumes of germs - food preparation, nappy changing, using the toilet, other toddlers around who put hands & clothes in their mouths for prolongued periods.

You sound like hard work. Your baby needs to get colds to build up their immune system. Dr could probably wash his hands but you seem very OTT

what diseases can live on a door handle?

He should be wearing gloves tbh.

No HCP has touched my baby without gloves.

But I'm in the UK.

I find it unusual that the doctor even comes in contact with the door. Must be a different system than I know.