Yoti, I'm putting my gal in infant care after maternity leave ends. I think as with all things, there're pros & cons. Most pple say the infant falls sick quite easily which is inevitable when he/she exposed to so many other children. But I guess the frequency depends on many variable factors such as health of the child, cleanliness of the centre, etc. Mostly 'heng'/'suay' I guess....
But then again, the good part is that the child picks up social skills very fast due to the daily exposure. Also, motor skills tend to be better and more independent, less sticky with mommy. Also, once they reach 1 yrs old, due to the exposure to the 'germs' at the infant care ctr, they tend to be more resistant to illnesses later on becos the immunity has been built up stronger as compared to a chlid who's mostly confined at home.
Of cos the above are generalisations. Too many variables to really say for sure whether it's good or bad. But I guess if you've no choice, if you ask me, I'd rather put at infant care then home alone with an unfamiliar maid.