Rub a dub dub – you’re washing away all the dirt and germs from every nook and cranny of your little one.

Your kid is SPARKLING CLEAN.

Too clean ?

Maybe.

The SPARKLING CLEAN kids are full of cleaning chemicals and allergies.

This is the finding of a group of researchers from John Hopkins University.

Probing clean kids

The researchers kicked off their probe, by analysing a urine sample and a blood sample from 860 children. The kids were part of a national survey and ranged in age from 6 to 18 years.

The items they were looking for in the urine were not the normal biological excretions, but chemicals, such as triclosan, which are found in a variety of personal hygiene products.

The blood samples were probed for the presence of antibodies from the E class, known as IgEs. IgE antibodies are the antibodies behind allergic reactions.

Clean kids had more cleaning materials

All the kids had the CLEAN chemicals in their urine.

Not a big surprise considering these chemicals appear in toothpaste, soaps and shampoos. And what goes in, eventually comes out, one way or another. Pharmacology 101.

The cleanest kids would be the kids peeing out the highest levels of these chemicals. The increased excretion, being a reflection of increased exposure during their day to day hygiene rituals.

So what ?

Clean kids had more antibodies

The team discovered that the cleanest kids, also had the highest IgE antibody counts.

Ouch !

These kids are allergic to antibacterial soap.

Not so fast.

What the study is suggesting is that being super clean, puts kids at risk of being allergic.

Is it time to cancel bath time ?

Probably not.

People have been washing away dirt and grime from bodies for centuries.

Bathing is not a new idea. It is the rise of allergies that is NEW.

So how are we bathing differently ?

Hot water………… actually not such a new idea.

Soap……….. also not such a new idea, although the ingredients have changed over the years.

Baths are extermination campaigns

The biggest difference is the goal.

The point of the traditional bath was to get rid of the excess dirt. Bathing was more about hosing down, so that the bits of mud, paint or jam that had managed to cling to the skin, would be washed away.

Today we bath not just to remove the dirt, we bath to sterilize. To exterminate the germs.

The bath tub has turned into a war zone. Germs MUST GO !

We emerge from the bath SUPER CLEAN.

Too clean for our own good ?

Bored immune systems looking for action

The human body comes with a sophisticated immune system – since time began, the body has waged war with the bacteria that share our world.

The war room is designed to be on, 24/7.

But an army with nothing to do…………..is T-R-O-U-B-L-E waiting to happen.

The hygiene hypothesis………

We NEED exposure to bacteria, the good, the bad and the ugly to ensure a healthy immune response.

Developing immune systems NEED to see BUGS, to learn who is friend and who is foe.

So…………get your kids playing IN THE DIRT, girls too. And when they’re done – hose them down. Nothing more, nothing less. Avoid using products containing anti-bacterial chemicals like triclosan, during bath time.

Further reading

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Being a Mom is a huge responsibility and knowing how to protect and optimize your family’s health is challenging. Get tips and strategies from the world of science and help your little ones have Better Body Chemistry so they grow up healthy and avoid the lifestyle diseases.

I have put together a series of TIPS to help Moms create Better Body Chemistry…

Did you learn something new or do you have a different perspective ? I’d love to hear from you so post me a comment below