“Cleanliness is the key to health” – we have firmly established this slogan since childhood, and now we do our best to protect our children from harmful microbes and bacteria. But, as it turns out, this is not good for children at all. Much better if on a walk our child turns into a grimy filthy. Tips from microbiologist Brett Finley.
Recently, renowned microbiologist Brett Finley and his co-author Marie-Claire Arrieta released the book Let Them Eat Dirt!1, which, perhaps, will force us to seriously reconsider our views on children’s hygiene.
For millions of years, children have grown exposed to all sorts of microbes, write Brett Finlay and Marie-Claire Arrieta. Look at any baby: every now and then he strives to put his hand, foot, or any object that is nearby. Older children love to dig in the mud, pick up worms, wallow on the ground, catch frogs. This is a completely natural behavior that makes contact with microbes inevitable, trains and strengthens their immune system.
Contact with pets reduces the risk of allergies and asthma in children
Modern parents do everything possible to exclude this contact. As the latest research shows, this desire for sterility only harms the health of the child. When certain microbes do not enter his digestive system, he is at risk for diseases such as asthma, allergies, obesity, diabetes. In this regard, here is what Brett Finlay and Marie-Claire Arrieta advise parents.
1. Let him get dirty to his heart’s content. Let the children during the walks touch everything they want (within reason, of course): land, dirt, trees, plants, insects and so on. Going to the park or square, take with you a bucket of water and a shovel – any child immediately and with pleasure will begin to make “patties” of mud or try to make yourself (and you!) A “mud mask”. Mud fell into his mouth? Do not panic: children very quickly realize that it is tasteless, and soon they will disaccustom it. Most children have this need to get dirty in the mud, and do not interfere with them. Make the child pleasant and encourage him to such games!
2. The dog can lick it. Let them play freely together and do what they want. Of course, before the first contact, it is better to take your dog to the veterinarian to make sure that the animal is healthy. A recent study showed that allowing a dog to lick a baby is not only not dangerous, but beneficial: it reduces the risk of allergies and asthma in a child. Not to mention additional bonuses – the dog will be for the baby both a playmate and a protector and will teach him not to be afraid of animals.
3. Forget about antibacterial soap. When after a walk you wash his hands with such a means, then you level all the beneficial effects of microbes. And in general, do not rush to wash the baby as soon as it gets dirty. On the street, let him remain soiled while he plays, it’s better to let him wash his hands when it’s time to eat or after going to the toilet. In addition, the frequent use of antibacterial soap increases the resistance of microbes, which makes its use meaningless.
Frequent use of antibacterial soap increases the resistance of microbes
4. Favor fermented foods. Most microorganisms of the gastrointestinal tract live in the large intestine. But they don’t always get the food they need. Sugar, white flour products, refined products do not reach them, as they are absorbed higher – in the stomach and small intestine. The best food for your gut microflora is fiber-rich foods, nuts, legumes, and vegetables. So, when choosing food for a child, remember that you need to feed not only him, but also his microflora. The reproduction of beneficial microflora is facilitated by fermented foods, such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut.
5. Be careful with antibiotics. Antibiotics are wonderful for bacterial infections and have saved countless children’s lives. But they are not nearly as harmless as we used to think. Their effect on the microbiota is akin to carpet bombing, as they kill both harmful and beneficial bacteria at once. This has a detrimental effect on the composition of the microflora, which, in turn, can provoke asthma, allergies, obesity, diabetes and other “diseases of Western civilization” that are so common in children today.
Antibiotics are only effective for bacterial infections, not for viral or fungal infections.
Antibiotics are effective only for bacterial infections, but not for viral or fungal infections. So they should only be used for their intended purpose. And, finally, the abuse of antibiotics leads to the development of resistance to them in pathogens. So use these drugs is only in case of serious bacterial infections.
For details, see The Time.
About the experts
Brett Finley, microbiologist, works at the University of British Columbia (Canada). His scientific works have gained international fame and have been awarded a number of prestigious awards.
Marie-Claire Arrieta, works at the same university. Her specialization is gastroenterology, microbiology, immunology.
1 B. Finley, M.-C. Arrieta «Let Them Eat Dirt. Saving Your Child from Oversanitized World» (Algonquin Books, 2016).