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It is a widely held opinion that if parents support hygiene in the house too much, the children's immune system weakens. But researchers from University College London refuted this.
For many years, mothers of small children were recommended to take them out for a walk and let them "fumble in the mud", not striving to constantly wash the children's hands and ensure that the child's room was perfectly clean. Such an approach to absolute cleanliness, according to a number of scientists, leads to a sharp decrease in the efficiency of the immune system, which in the important period of children's life does not come into contact with a large number of pathogens, and therefore does not acquire sufficient skills. It is claimed that such children more often become victims of allergies.
And now scientists from London claim that this concept does not correspond to reality. Too clean and sterile surfaces or hand washing products have no effect on the increase in the number of allergies among children. Children are still exposed to bacteria in the natural environment, and this gives their immune system a boost for life ahead. Hugs with relatives and walks on the street are two key ways of transmitting the same bacteria that are so useful for training children's immunity.
However, the numbers suggest otherwise. Today, more than 40% of British children, or 4 million people, suffer from at least one allergy. Every year this figure increases by 5%. When the cleanliness of the premises and children's hands were monitored less closely, the level of allergies in the country was much lower.
