Germs Can Be Helpful
Research from Professor Linda Harrison of Charles Sturt University, in Australia, reveals that children that are exposed to other children in a daycare or school environment at an early age develop stronger immunity even though they might sometimes get sick at the outset. According to a study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, daycare kids have a decreased risk of developing asthma and allergies later in life.
Children also benefit from getting their hands into microbe-rich soil, say Brigham and Women's Hospital researchers in a study published in Science. While germs can help kids build stronger immunity, common good habits like regular hand-washing curb the spread of viruses.