Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : August 17, 2021 11:31 AM IST
Cleanliness needs to be targeted to hands and surfaces most often involved in infection transmission,
Early childhood exposure to particular microorganisms is thought to help in the development of the immune system that in turn helps protect against allergic diseases. However, there is a misconception among people that modern society is too clean and hygienic, which can impair immune systems in children, making them more vulnerable to infections or allergies. The theory is that if toddlers and children are less exposed to germs in early life, they become less resistant to allergies. Researchers at UCL and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine have disapproved this theory.
In an article published last month in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the researchers concluded that we are not "too clean for our own good", providing four significant reasons to support their statement.
Lead author Graham Rook, Emeritus Professor of Medical Microbiology (UCL Infection & Immunity), explained in the paper: Exposure to microorganisms in early life is essential for the immune and metabolic systems. Organisms that inhabit our guts, skin and airways are also important for our health. Therefore, throughout life, we need exposure to these beneficial microorganisms, derived mostly from our mothers, other family members and the natural environment. But there is a public narrative that hand and domestic hygiene practices, that are essential for stopping exposure to disease-causing pathogens, are also blocking exposure to these beneficial organisms.
So, the disagreement lies between the need for cleaning and hygiene to keep us free of pathogens, and the need for microbial inputs to populate our guts and set up our immune and metabolic systems.
The researchers gave four explanations to reconcile this conflict, based on evidence. They said:
In conclusion, Professor Rook said that personal cleanliness and keeping your home clean is good, but it needs to be targeted to hands and surfaces most often involved in infection transmission. "By targeting our cleaning practices, we also limit direct exposure of children to cleaning agents," he said, as quoted by Science Daily.
"Exposure to our mothers, family members, the natural environment, and vaccines can provide all the microbial inputs that we need. These exposures are not in conflict with intelligently targeted hygiene or cleaning," he added.
So don't worry modern parents, being clean and hygienic need not weaken your child's immunity.
