Are we doing too good a job at protecting our children from germs?  The "hygiene theory" proposes that allergies and asthma are increasing, in part,  because children's immune systems are not being properly primed through early exposure to infections.

Gillian Shepherd: "We may be...overly obsessive in the US about making sure that our children are brought up in a spanking clean environment."

Dr Gillian Shepherd, of New York's Cornell University, says childhood allergies are less common among children living in polluted areas...and among those exposed to other children, such as in day care settings.  Shepherd says childhood vaccinations remain critically important...but otherwise, lighten up:

Gillian Shepherd: "...making sure that everything is absolutely clean and you keep children in very sterile environments and you keep them away from other kids who have routine infections...perhaps at this stage we really don't have to be that vigilant."

Recent research suggests that giving pregnant women a common bacteria found in yogurt...then giving it to the infants as well...may reduce children's risk of developing allergies.  For more information, click here.

Created: 9/18/2001  -  Donnica Moore, M.D.