What’s causing our kids’ health concerns? Are we too clean?!

As a parent to a child with a health concern, there’s nothing more frustrating than not knowing how your kid came to be the lucky one of 13 kids to have a food allergy or one of 10 to have asthma. It seems like every week there’s a different theory on why these issues exist, whether something we did during pregnancy or early childhood, or alternatively, something we didn’t do.

One such theory we hear about regularly these days is the Hygiene Hypothesis.

On the surface, it may seem pretty ridiculous. So ridiculous in fact (“My kid has an allergy because he’s TOO CLEAN?!”), I’m sure it went in one ear and out the other for most of us, causing us to not consider it any further.

But like many other theories, there is a valid reason the Hygiene Hypothesis exists.

This particular theory takes into consideration the modern day conveniences (e.g., dishwashers, hand sanitizer, etc.) that didn’t exist back in the day when food allergies, seasonal allergies, asthma and eczema weren’t widely recognized. It gives thought to the fact that, because of these conveniences, kids aren’t getting the amount or types of bacteria that previous human bodies were used to receiving.

And without these bacteria, our children don’t have much to work with when “training,” as an NPR article so appropriately described it, their immune systems in figuring out which bacteria are good versus bad, resulting in the “misfires” that cause today’s common ailments among children.

At the end of the day, does any of this matter? Probably not. Our kids already have the issues, and experts are diligently working on treatments (thank goodness).

But then again, if we understand what researchers are saying about these theories, like the Hygiene Hypothesis, maybe others can put them into practice in an attempt to ward off allergies, asthma and eczema. What would it hurt, as long as it’s done within reason?

Do you have any thoughts on the Hygiene Hypothesis or other cause-related theories? If so, share them in our comments below. You never know who you may help in the future!

Iris

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