Is excessive house cleaning bad for children? The answer is beyond doubt in science

Opinions about the potential harm to the immune defenses of children living in a very clean home are divided, but science gives its answers.

The increase in personal hygiene practices has greatly improved the quality of life. Today, however, the opposite problem seems to be manifesting itself.

It is legitimate to wonder if excessive hygiene weakens the body’s immune response. Also because we’ve seen some “side effects” appear specifically during the pandemic, such asIncreased sensitivity resulting from excessive cleansing.

If we talk about children’s health then, the topic becomes more complicated. This is because There are two practically opposite philosophies of thought: There are those who argue that the child should be protected from pathogens through careful cleaning of the rooms, and those who, instead of contacting only viruses and bacteria, train the body to defend itself.

When the child arrives in the family, it becomes more important, therefore, Understanding which direction to take. Because every parent’s will is definitely to protect their children. A recent study gives an important message and informs us of what science has decided.

A very clean house equals unhealthy babies? This is where the truth lies

If we ask ourselves during the daily cleaning of our home whether or not it is a really healthy practice for our children, we can take a look at the results of the study.

Research published in Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology And they give us valuable pointers. If we have small children we will surely notice that they instinctively bring their little hands to their mouths and when they put their teeth in, they bite everything they find around them.

Surely someone might think that contact with microbes will allow a young child’s body to learn to defend itself, and this is partly true. Not by chance Most immune defenses develop thanks to healthy microbesgerms in the gastrointestinal tract.

However, according to experts, hygiene and cleanliness in the home do not interfere with the maturation of the immune system. on the contrary, Babies draw “power” from contact with the mother’s microbes and family members. He only partially learns how to manage external attacks from contact with surfaces and objects.

Again according to experts, there is no direct relationship between lowered defenses and the use of detergents/disinfectants, except in certain cases. They also add that to adequately protect the health of children It is necessary to proceed with routine vaccinations. If anything, the advice is not to abuse harmful detergents and/or chemicals, which can be dangerous nonetheless, as well as pollute the environment.