For example, the majority of our children no longer grow up on farms around livestock; they are given multiple immunizations and antibiotics when sick; their environment is “cleaner” than ever, with increased bathing and hand washing. As a result, there is less early exposure to endotoxin, a protein produced by various animals, particularly farm animals, in early childhood. Endotoxin has been shown to shift the immune system away from an allergic response early in childhood. Children who grow up on farms are exposed to large amounts of endotoxin, and therefore have lower rates of allergic diseases.
Does this mean that our children should play in kitty litter boxes and not get vaccinated against childhood diseases? Absolutely not. It probably means that we’re trading potentially life-threatening infections for a shift in our immune systems towards allergies.
Find out ways to potentially prevent the onset of allergies in your children.
Source:
Hopp RJ. Genetics and Epidemiology of Allergic Disease. In: Naguwa SM, Gershwin ME, eds. Allergy and Immunology Secrets. 1st ed. Philadelphia: Hanley and Belfus, Inc.;2001:1-11.
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