Introducing Children to Allergens Early May Help Future Health Concerns

Parents, especially new and expecting parents may believe that dirt and dust can be bad for their young children to be exposed to. Research has shown that, in fact, the opposite may be true.

This research has been studies across the world in a wide range of topics including food allergies for peanuts and other allergens. For other forms of allergies the "hygiene hypothesis" has gained traction and shown that exposure to some dust and dirt may help keep young patients healthy later in life. Frances Lund, Phd, the chair of the microbiology department at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Beatriz Leon, PhD, discussed how their recent research has backed up this theory and what it can mean for patients.