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.

it's bollocks innit

and if families who got mega doses of threadworms and filth didn't get allergies, we would have been first in the queue

I mean first in the queue not to have them

instead I got both children with allergies

you dirty fox

I think it's genes too

that's what our peadiatrician thought who told me if I ever had a third, not to put a bet down on them not having some sort of allergy

I think we are dirty actually

I decided that when dh and I had to find out the French word for sodding threadworms ON OUR BLOODY HOLIDAY so we could trot to the pharmacie and get some stuff for dd

grrr

I do find it interesting though

I wonder if they will find an allergy gene

because if we've passed it down, it must lurk there somewhere surely? is that how it works?

lol

they have found the gene, fox. here.

the gene produces a protein called filagrin (or something) and atopic people do not have much filagrin

how amazing pointy

just read the article

I know it takes a while to 'do stuff' with the gene once they've found it but it's still amazing research

I guess as time goes on they'll find more genes for other allergies

they are doing loads of research in this area as we keep getting asked to participate lol (due to allergies not general filth levels)

it's quite exciting really. I wonder what a world would be like with no allergies.

Pollution plays a part as well as dust and hayfever, amimal hair. We moved into a new house and still have them. Enviroment apparently more of a factor than genetics but can't say if not a contributor. Any how, when you hoover or polish the dust moves around in the house anyhow, cant win.

Is it OTT to bath your kids every night? I do - thought it was normal. I am a bit OCD to be fair but my dc are in rude health, no allergies etc. Also I am by far the cleanest memeber of my family and I am the only one not to have asthma or hayfever or excema. Ha!

I think it is mainly genes but I also find that new research about people being able to tolerate peanuts having been built up to have them v interesting

they wanted dd to contribute to that as she had a confirmed egg allergy that she outgrew and they said they are v interested now in children who outgrow confirmed allergies (as in, in their blood confirmed by a blood test) and what is different in them to those that don't

because I often wonder why some children outgrow them and why some don't

Pointy I'm sorry but I do have to question the reliability of the article you have linked to (not research, no stats or sample size etc to check) Most of the related articles are on small sample sizes and therefore not directly valid and many are cited through findings on animals which is questionable when extrapolating data about humans. Obviously tests have to start somewhere, but this certainly needs more research on human subjects with larger samples.

I bath mine every night, not for cleanliness but because its part of their bedtime wind down routine

The peanut stuff is fascinating, and obviously would be a massive break-through if it can be applied more widely.

But the wider allergy issue is so fascinating precisely because it's clearly some unknown interaction between genes and the environment. The explosion in allergies over the past 30 years can't possibly be explained by genetics alone. Which aspect of our lives that is different from that of our great-great grandparents is triggering allergies in people who would otherwise have escaped?

I like to believe it so I dont feel so shite being a slattern

Same here Trinity!
Repeat 'I hardly clean because it is good for the dcs, I hardley clean for my dcs health.......'

oh I say it aaaaaaalllll the time

I wonder about this too, I don't think that the cleaning standards are particularly different or far higher when compared to those of any other country, and yet it is a country with a greater incidence of allergies than most other countries.

But talking about antibacterial cleaners... one thing that this country differs from others is that Britain doesn't rinse the soap of kitchen utensils and crockery before putting food into them. Wonder if there may be a link...

Having said that, the genetic background of my son is very varied and there are no severe allergies in the family, neither in the respective countries of his parents. I rinse the soap from the plates yet... DS is one of the most allergic children in Britain! Bad luck?

That's where dishwashers come in handy - no more 'to rinse or not to rinse?' anxiety.

Ah very interesting all this. At least now I know that my rubbish housekeeping could actually be helping DD (the product of two very atopic allergic parents - between us we both have eczema, asthma, hayfever and food allergy {nuts and fish}).

But another interesting point raised elsewhere on MN - not that long ago, very allergic people would have been less likely to have survived severe allergic reactions (I'd certainly have died before reproducing). So could that be one reason there are more allergic people these days?