photo: Istockphoto
A new discovery and a very practical one, could help your child ward off at least partially allergic reactions.
Our own microbial store, the one each human carries, is called a "microbiome"/\.
And it appears that parents who 'prep' a pacifier by placing it in their mouths before offering it to their children might reduce the child's ability to develop allergies because the parent's saliva contains microbiomes that allow the child to be 'exposed' to allergens in a vicarious way: through the transfer of harmless bacteria from their mouths to the mouth of their children.
The bacteria stimulate the baby's immune system, and that those bacteria are encoded with signals that teaches the immune system how to react properly to things, such as peanuts, pollen, pets and other allergens.
The finding seems to reaffirm the notion that too much cleanliness is in large part what causes the immune system to overreact in children, who go on to develop significant allergies, compared to those who are exposed to an environment that is less strict on hygiene.
Source : NPR 5.6.13
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