My mom just emailed me this article about children and our (American) culture of over-sanitation.
Here’s the beginning of the article:
We all want healthy children, but did you know that children who eat dirt might actually be doing their bodies and long-term health a tremendous service?
Providing a healthy, clean environment for children is of paramount importance, but the over sanitation of childhood might actually be doing children more harm than good. The current germophobia with all its use of sanitizing hand gels, antibiotic soaps, antimicrobial kitchen sprays, germ-killing sanitizing wipes, pasteurized milk, irradiated food and antibiotic pharmaceuticals may actually contribute to a society plagued by autoimmune disease.
To read the rest of the article, click here.
Comments?
Oh i agree! I think when around places like walmart tho with fecal matter and what not on carts from other kids LOL.. that sanitizing is wise… stomach flus are soooo easily spread… but my kids have eaten their share of food off the floor…. Taite is the worst 🙂 i found him eating candy he found in the dirt one day at the playground.. he lived 🙂 never got sick from it.
SO I do think its good to build their natural immunity up…
same reason why i dont jump to use drugs on them when they get sick.. they need to fight it themselves!
I am all for sanitizing after school tho or after church 🙂 those germies are not something i want bringing home haha
Interesting! I do admit to having somewhat germaphobic tendencies. I wipe the cart off at the store and things like that. But I have read that research shows that a lot of things we think kids need antibiotics for (like ear infections) will go away on their own without antibiotic treatment. And there is always the debate over taking a newborn out in public or keeping them home until they are a month or two old. I’ve heard that taking them out earlier may build up their natural resistance to some things. We took Drew out right away, but he was born in March, so we didn’t have to worry too much about the flu at that point. Lots of good stuff to think about. I guess I won’t worry too much about that scary stuff growing in my fridge! Maybe it will be good for Drew! 🙂
I definitely think sanitation has its place (clean water, washing hands regularly, being smart about what we touch out in public), but I appreciated how this article showed that a certain amount of exposure to germs and bacteria is good for children! I thought it helped take some of the pressure off to do certain things that have become expected (i.e. always sterilize a pacifier by boiling it if it falls on the carpet, etc.). I also really agreed with how the medical community sometimes prescribes antibiotics too often…without allowing our body’s good bacteria to do its work (not just for children…but adults too)! Just lots of interesting things to think about.
I definitely think sanitation has its place (clean water, washing hands regularly, being smart about what we touch out in public), but I appreciated how this article showed that a certain amount of exposure to germs and bacteria is good for children! I thought it helped take some of the pressure off to do certain things that have become expected (i.e. always sterilize a pacifier by boiling it if it falls on the carpet, etc.). I also really agreed with how the medical community sometimes prescribes antibiotics too often…without allowing our body’s good bacteria to do its work (not just for children…but adults too)! Just lots of interesting things to think about.
yea i dont boil pacifiers or bottles. I think the 1st time i buy a set of bottles i did boil them.. but after that hot water did just fine.
btw the best pacifiers http://www.wubbanub.com 🙂 i love them!!
I agree too! Great article. I didn’t boil soothers or bottles either, except for when I first got them.