NIH-funded Study: Infants Exposed to Dirt and Germs Have Lesser Risk of Asthma and Allergy

A recent study funded by National Institutes of Health in Maryland, USA, shows that infants who were exposed to household bacteria or allergens early in life (within the first year of birth) showed lesser risk of developing asthma and allergies later in life. 

I have already explained how this works in my previous post on The Rapidly Increasing Immune System Disorders and also in this post about How to Improve Your Immunity.

Asthma and allergies are both very common immune system disorders. They are becoming more and more prevalent at a rapid rate.

It is commonly thought that newborns need to be kept in 100% germ-free environments and anti-bacterial products are used extensively to maintain this. The recent results of the NIH study just show us how badly our war against bacteria is affecting our future generations. 

A reasonable level of sanitation is required to prevent the proliferation of bad bacteria; however, wiping out all bacteria from our surrounding environment will have negative consequences for our health and that of our future generations. Maintaining a bacterially sterile environment should remain in the domain of healthcare facilities like hospitals and the offices of medical providers, not in our homes where we eat and sleep and spend most of our time. While medical science still does not fully understand how immune system disorders are caused, we now know that some exposure to household germs is definitely good for our health.

An excerpt from the published study report:

A report on the study, published on June 6 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, reveals that early exposure to bacteria and certain allergens may have a protective effect by shaping children’s immune responses — a finding that researchers say may help inform preventive strategies for allergies and wheezing, both precursors to asthma.

“What this tells us is that not only are many of our immune responses shaped in the first year of life, but also that certain bacteria and allergens play an important role in stimulating and training the immune system to behave a certain way.”

Asthma is one of the most common pediatric illnesses, affecting some 7 million children in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By the time they turn 3, up to half of all children develop wheezing, which in many cases evolves into full-blown asthma.

You can read the full report on the Johns Hopkins website by clicking on this link.