Dusty home good for baby?

Created: Thursday, May 03, 2007 Print

A bit of dust and dirt in the house may be a good thing for your children, suggests a University of Cincinnati study in the May issue of the journal Allergy.

The study of 574 infants considered to be at high risk for future allergies concluded that early exposure to indoor microbes may help children develop stronger immune systems and reduce their risk of developing allergies, The Ottawa Citizen reported.

Children exposed to high levels of "fungal glucans" and "bacterial endotoxins" were about three times less likely to wheeze than those in more sanitised settings.

"If you keep your house too clean, you don't provide the microbial components to stimulate the immune system," said study lead author Yulia Iossifova.

She noted that this kind of immune system boost only occurs early in life, The Citizen reported.

"Whether you'll be susceptible to allergies later in life depends on immune development during pregnancy and then in the first three to four years of life," Iossifova said. "If people haven't been exposed to microbial components as little children, being exposed to them as adults makes them develop allergies very easily." – (HealthDayNews)

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May 2007