SCIENCE in your LIFE
Down and Dirty - The Benefit of Letting a Child Be Dirty
By L.H.
What if I told you germs can be helpful to you, and more importantly, your child? Germs are a large cause for concern due to their ability to infect and wipe out entire populations of people, but in some cases, exposure to a certain type of germ in dirt can decrease chances of developing asthma and other allergies. Society as a whole does not believe that a person can ever be “too clean,” but they can.
People who overuse hand sanitizer and disinfectants are actually hurting themselves rather than helping. This is especially true for those parents that believe their child has to be wiped down after everything they do. Germs can be found all over the Earth, from the public restrooms in Walmart, to a child's desk in school, to the door handle in your own home. "Bad" germs tend to infect the body and attack our immune system to harm us, whereas "good" germs actually help our immune system and keep us healthy.
These so called "good" germs are found in dirt, which is something most people try to avoid. However, the majority of human skin is covered with dirt microbes, or "good" germs, which are helpful in keeping our bodies naturally healthy. The most useful time to be exposed to dirt is during early ages, because that's when the immune system is still being built and it need something to do. When your body is exposed to beneficial germs at an early age, it is able to avoid things like asthma and other allergies.
Due to the high use of disinfectants and hand sanitizers, there are more cases of people with allergies and asthma because less people are exposed to dirt enough as children. What we can do to avoid this is pay close attention to what your child does and really think if they need to wash their hands. If they have been in Walmart, school, or any other public place, it is good to use a sanitizer or disinfectant because they have probably been exposed to those "bad" germs. For things like playing outside, petting animals, and putting things in their mouths that have been on the floor, they are being exposed to the “good” germs and are helping their immune systems. Don’t disinfect that pacifier your baby threw on the floor – it has “good” germs, and might be the reason whether or not your child has asthma or other allergies in the future.
Please send any questions or comments to Dr. Spitzer (spitzern@marshall.edu )
Note: Any opinions expressed in these articles are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of Dr. Spitzer, the Department of Biological Sciences, or Marshall University.