Page 59 - HOSPITAAL

allergies and more likely to fight off germs that can cause illness.

So, if your baby drops his pacifier on the floor, you might want to think twice before swooping in
to disinfect it or replace it with a new one. In fact, you might be better off cleaning it in your own
mouth and returning it to your baby. Yes, plenty of parents do this, and their kids actually have a

lower rate of allergies and more robust health, according to a study published by the American
Academy of Pediatrics.

If it makes you nervous to expose your child to dirt or certain foods, you are not alone. Many

medical experts believe our nation’s tendency toward hyper-hygiene and fear of germs is at
least partially responsible not only for an increase in antibiotic resistance, but also a rise in
allergies. The medical field even has a name for this theory: the “hygiene hypothesis.”

In the past 20 years, food allergies in children have increased about 50 percent, according to
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That means about one in eight children

has at least one food allergy.

“What has happened is that our immune systems, which were once busy fighting bacteria,
parasites and other health problems, are now bored because we have eliminated so many of

the day-to-day germs,” said pediatric allergist and immunologist Viviana Sirven, M.D., part of
Baptist Health Quality Network. “The immune system doesn’t have enough to do. When
something new is introduced in the body, it can go overboard with a huge reaction.”

That “something new” could be a food, medicine, latex, animal dander or just about anything
found in the outdoor environment.

Still not convinced? Consider the research. An international study showed that people who grew
up on farms suffer from fewer allergies, asthma and hay fever. Adults who had pets as children
are less likely to have sensitivities. Another study found that the more peanuts and tree nuts a

woman ate during her pregnancy, the lower the risk of her children developing a nut allergy. In
other words, exposure to different substances, germs and potential allergens builds up
resistance.

If you wince each time your child gets grimy, try to relax. Be more willing to let kids get dirty,
play with animals and explore the outdoor environment without antibacterial gel. Melissa

Franco, D.O., a primary care physician with Baptist Health Medical Group, suggests a common-