Clean kids at risk of allergies

Why some germs are good!

When we were kids we raced around playing in the dirt and washed our hands maybe twice a day, max. But according to a UK survey, carried out for probiotics producer Yakult, our modern obsession with keeping our kids clean may risk their health. The results suggest many parents are obsessed with keeping their children in a ‘sterile bubble’ when it’s actually vital that youngsters are exposed to some bacteria.

The research found that six people in 10 believe that children should be protected from all bacteria, while 73% believe it’s important to use anti-bacterial products. However, numerous experts have countered this view, pointing out that always using anti-bacterial soaps and hand sanitizers may prevent kids’ immature immune systems from developing properly. They reckon that publicity about serious infections such as MRSA, along with marketing hype that pushes anti-bacterial products as the solution, is in danger of misleading parents as to the vital role some bacteria can play in our children’s overall health and wellbeing. The result is that more and more children suffer from allergies than ever before as their immune systems simply can’t rise to the challenge of new allergens. It’s called the ‘hygiene hypothesis’: children are exposed to fewer germs, which are necessary to properly train their developing immune systems. The result is that their immune systems overreact to relatively harmless irritants.

It’s a fact that kids no longer play outside as much as they used to and that families are smaller, and these factors lessen children’s exposure to bacteria. Many parents don’t seem to understand that bacteria can be beneficial as well as harmful. The survey revealed that 42% of respondents thought that society’s health would improve if all bacteria were eradicated. But such ‘germ warfare’ can actually be damaging, as we need strong immune systems to protect us from many diseases and infections, including common coughs and colds. What’s important is to have a balance between cleanliness and obsession. Children should be encouraged to play outside and get dirty – but to wash their hands afterwards, using good old-fashioned soap and hot water.

 

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