so what is your opinion on the 'new' report that there are so many allergies because parent are too clean?

[raggedtrouseredphilanthropist]

Cos I think its a load of rubbish, but I wondered what everyone else thought. I most certainly was not overly clean with ds - we had 2 dogs, and lets just say housework isnt my favourite thing to do, and I NEVER use antibacterial cleaner as I think its just wrong!
I think ds is allergic, with eczema, as I have asthma and allergies and his dad has very mild eczema. Its in his genes. But of course, not all cases are like ours..
Does anyone think they may have a point, or, like me, do you think its more genetics or something else.

I'm never sure about this. I'm not domesticated and suffer from dust, pollen, animal hair allergies. There has to be a genetic component, surely? (non-scientist) But the eggs that made us were made when our mothers were in our grandmothers' wombs, so does the cleanliness of that time influence our allergies today? (even more obviously a non-scientist)

I think genetics obv play a part, but I do think that childrens environments are a bit over-sanitised now.

Personally, I don't allow any of those anti-bacterial cleaning stuffs in the house (tho do clean with HOT water and detergents etc), and have never vacuumed a matress in my life.

oh should add that ds is fighting fit, and only had 2 tummy upsets ever in 9 1/2 years.

well..it is not a new report is it? This theory has been published before, hasn't it?
I am sure I also watched a documentary about this...although that was more about our non-worm-infested status...but cleanliness was mentioned...
The worm theroy is based on 3rd world countries where the children are now worm treated suddenly a raise of allergies was found in those children...
there was even a scientist who infected himself with some kind of worm just before Hayfever season in order to avoid suffering from it....it worked for him...the theory behind this, is, iirc, that if the body has to cope with things liek worms it is to busy to attack itself...
all interesting stuff...no idea if there is any truth to it....

Relief that for once I must be doing the best for my children according to the latest faddy report!

I know what they mean though. If you look back in time when children played on vast areas of grime bomb sites etc allergies were less heard of.

Along came the clean freak and along came the allergies.

I think it would be hard to really pinpoint, and I don't think it is down to one reason...iykwim...

i think there is some truth to it.

DH was raised in a sterile bubble, never allowed to play with mud etc. normal childhood stuff like that, was bathed every night.
when i first met him he couldn't even sleep in my room claiming the dust was making him ill he had colds all the time because his immune system was so shit.

i, on the other hand spent my childhood caked in mud and cat shit and i have cracking good health.

thanks to my slovenly house keeping he seems to be immune to dust and hardly ever gets ill now.

It is also diagnosed more accurately.

We are grubby. Hoover less than once a month. DS last had a bath weeks ago, DD months ago.

DS allergic to citrus.

bamboo, thats obv it then.

You should publish your 'research' , and give us all the opportunity to sit back and be slovern..

I haven't seen a new report, but wasn't fully convinced by the arguments of the old one. I think there's probably something in it, but I can't see how it can be the full story.

I grew up in the filthiest house of any of my contemporaries but was one of the few children in the class to have allergies and asthma (then they all got diagnosed later)

MIL is a germ freak smf DH has serious allergies... He was brought up with this idea that animals are "dirty" - Im' not talking about not letting a dog lick your face, I'm talking even stroking a dog was considered dirty and required full emersion in boiling water and bleach more or less.

We had a totally different upbringing and allergies are definitely not an issue for us.

I've often joked that DCs in our house will be bathed by dad and slung into the dog's basket by mum!

Interestingly though, I am just realising that DH's allergies have been much less bad since we started living together? I wonder what that says about me?!

Bling that like most of us we are not clean freaks lmao

clumsymum, are you being sarcastic? (i honestly can't tell)

I've heard this theory before. I think the big player is genetics. I think that is key.

All teh research about various triggers, I don't take too seriously.

I think it's a load of bollocks
I grew up in dusty filthy house of numerous kids and animals,I have dust and dog/cat allergy.No one realised when I was young why I was always sneezing and scratching and my eyes always streaming,this was the 60's and 70's.

My ds is allergic ,severly to nuts,my house is anything but sterile.

I think the increase in allergies is partly better diagnosis and the vaccines we pump into our kids that fuck up the immune system.
I have no evidence btw .

Its not a new theory. It's based on research that shows children growing up on farms with exposure to livestock have significantly less animal hair allergies than those who grew up without exposure to pets at home.

The thinking behind it is that children's immune systems are not fully developed until they are about 8 years old. The more you expose your immune system to potential hazards in youth, the better it is at recognising what is harmful and what is not and reacting accordingly. This explains why many children 'grow' out of allergies they have as babies. If, in later life, when your immune system is fully developed and functioning, you encounter something foreign, the body's first response can be an allergic reaction. Repeated exposure, however, can desensitise the body to allergins (hence bamboobottom's dh). Desensitising by repeated mild exposure is one of the treatments used at the moment for treating nut allergies in children. Apparantly it can be quite successful.

However, our understanding of the immune system is not complete. There is definitly a genetic component to some allergies. We have been advised to keep DD away from fish till she is at least 8 as both DH and I have a fish allergy.

I think it's one plausible theory among many others and anecdotal evidence isn't going to tell us very much. FWIW I hope it's true though.... would love my style of housekeeping to be vindicated.
Is there a new report out?

I have always thought that farm/dirt/allergy research must be seriously flawed. A tiny percentage of children are raised on livestock farms. Was it really possible to carry out a robust comparitive study which ruled out a genetic predisposition?

You would think if a farm child had grown up with alleriges that were linked to animal hair then they wouldn't be farmers themselves so you would end up with people with non-allergic genes being livestock farmers.

Do you see what I mean?

It's known that children with pets have fewer days off school and have a better immune system. Interestingly, fewer cases of asthma and other allergies, too, where children have shared a bedroom with cats or dogs.

There was quite exciting news a couple of weeks ago. Scientists at Dundee have located the filliggren (sp?) gene which is meant to be responsible for asthma, eczema etc.

Far more interesting than some wishy washy dirt theory

Starlight you hoover less than once a month?

Does it look ok, and if so, what flooring do you have so I can get some

Next time MIL complains about my ECO cleaners and tuts at the state of the kitchen floor I will feel smug that I am protecting my childrens health.

Pointydog - that's a really interesting point. And farming does tend to run in families, more than other jobs.