Experts say the use of wet wipes to wash the face and hands can have a major impact on the increase in food allergies among children. The study was published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Scientists have found that they leave soap scum on the skin and remove natural protective oils, making the baby’s body more susceptible to allergy triggers such as dust and nuts.
Parents were advised to rinse the baby’s skin well with water after each use of wet wipes to get rid of any residual plaque. However, it is safest to wash your baby with plain soap and water.
– In order to reduce the exposure of the child’s skin to food allergens, it is worth washing your hands before contact with the toddler – prof. Joan Cook-Mills from Northwestern University in the USA. – It is also worth limiting the use of moisturizing wipes, which leave soap on the skin. And it’s best to wash them off with water, as we used to do in the past – he added.
The professor also points out that wet wipes are in fact one of many factors, apart from genetic and environmental conditions, that influences the emergence of allergies in children.
It turns out that one in three children with food allergies also suffers from eczema, causing the skin to itch, redden, dry and crack.
– The skin of children, especially up to the age of 3, has a protective barrier that is not fully developed yet, and its regenerative abilities are not as efficient as that of an adult. Hence, the use of strong washing agents with the wrong pH, or the abuse of washing wipes constantly causes abrasion of the outer – horny layer of the epidermis, and this promotes the penetration of various fine chemical compounds into the epidermis. These substances are various allergens to which we become allergic over time. Hence the opinion of our grandmothers that “frequent washing shortens life” has a lot of truth in it – says dermatologist Aleksandra Żerdzińska in an interview with MedTvoiLokony. – In maintaining hygiene, as in all spheres of life, moderation should be observed. In my practice, I meet patients whose skin on the face or buttock area is damaged due to the overuse of washing tissues. It leads to dryness, thinning and reddening of the epidermis, which favors the penetration of the “chemicals” contained in washing preparations inside. If such behavior repeats itself, over time, you will become allergic to the substances contained in the preparation. Similarly, damage to the protective barrier of the hands associated with frequent washing may lead to the penetration of various allergens, including food allergens, and lead to the development of allergies. Cleaning wipes for children should be kept in situations where access to clean water is limited, e.g. on a walk – adds the expert.
Based on: mamadu.pl; thesun.co.uk