To be slightly worried my child may become seriously ill now?

[walktothefront]

Because he's 14 months and has never been ill, not even a cold.

This man says for an immune system to work properly, it needs to be confronted with an infection in the first year of life.

This article says this, I've copied in a picture. This man is supposedly supported by lots of cancer research companies, and he has received or is going to receive an honour for his research and findings.

It's from The Guardian so less likely to be completely BS

No OP it’s not inherited. It’s a genetic mutation that occurs in a very small number of children. Of those only some will actually go on to develop leukemia and he is suggesting that those who become ill do so because their immune system has not been primed in the first year of life.

Do you socialise with other kids and babies? If so maybe your kid is just blessed with an amazing immune system

This is my friend's dad (stealth boast)

For all you know your child HAS had infections, but their immune system has fought them off.

Even when we develope immunity to an illness, we still get it, its just that the immune response is so fast and specific it knocks it on the head before we start getting syptoms.

Oh and the breast-feeding thing. It's absolutely amazing!

kellymom.com/pregnancy/bf-prep/how_breastmilk_protects_newborns/

I never knew my breastmilk worked just as well now he's older compared to newborn

Do you socialise with other kids and babies? If so maybe your kid is just blessed with an amazing immune system

Yes, childminder 3 days a week. SIL 2 days a week.

I have Lupus and I am ill pretty much all the time I only have to look at an ill person and I'm sick

This has worried me too. I read it this morning and was alarmed then.
I will confess that I have been a clean freak and although am much better now, am paranoid about germs. I am diagnosed OCD so this has really rocked me. To be honest though I am much better in terms of cleaning than what I used to be.
I let my children play with dirt and outside and they’ve been to Nursery and stuff ( but only from aged two) but not soft play or things like that.

This has really worried me

Leave Doctor Google / Nurse Guardian alone and relax with the constant disinfecting unless you're constantly handling dog mess or raw chicken.

According to all sorts of science people on the interwebs and tabloids, anything and everything can possibly (emphasis on "possibly") increase the chances for all sorts of cancer. Eat meat? Have some bowel cancer. Didn't breastfeed? Have breast cancer. Child spending too much in the sun? Basal cell carcinoma. Etc etc etc.

Also, trying to work out genetic predispositions / mutations without access to scientists and cutting edge labs is an exercise in futility and you're just worrying yourself otherwise.

Not having been ill is not the same as never having one's immune system confronted with infection. It doesn't mean that you have to have been ill in your first year.

But over-cleaning and dousing your home in zoflora is unlikely to be great in the long term and isn't wonderful for the environment either.

He’s a world renowned expert (which a quick Google would have told you) and yet his research is dismissed as bollocks. That just sums up public attitude to science, study and experts. I despair.

Just clean to an ok level. You don’t need to xoflora or bleach every day.

Red Me too

I'm not OCD diagnosed but I have always been incredibly OTT about cleanliness. Last year I was antibacterial wiping myself out of the door on all fours. I've always loved cleaning but I've been quite obsessive.

Now I just keep a very organised and clean/fresh smelling home. Probably much more clean than average but more normal. This is the best I can do. The very best.

The changes I've made are tremendous. I wouldn't go to a sleep over as a child in fear that I couldn't shower or have a bath whilst I was there. I once promised a friend I'd go, but only if she made her Mum promise I could use the shower. This started at about age 8

My son had leukaemia, he was also poorly before he was one a few times...

He’s a world renowned expert (which a quick Google would have told you) and yet his research is dismissed as bollocks. That just sums up public attitude to science, study and experts. I despair.

He might be but the Guardian isn't. People aren't reading his actual research but the media's piss-poor, sensationalist interpretation of it. People read, Eating meat increases your chances of getting bowel cancer by 50% and they think that means 50% of people get bowel cancer, or that they are twice as likely to get it personally, if they have a burger. But of course that's not true. They hear 200 of these stories a year and come to the conclusion that science is bullshit, rather than science reporting.

Science is not bollocks. Science reporting frequently is.

vaginal birth is also cited as a huge boost to seeding the gut biome...does that help you feel better?

My DS developed Leukaemia at 4 years old. He’d been to childcare 2 days a week, had an older brother in school, we have a dog in the house, and he was ill quite a bit in his first year - necessitating 2 hospital stays.

That isn’t to say the theory is shite - it’s true of populations and not necessarily individuals.

I never expected my child to get cancer, but some children do and we need research into why rates are increasing steadily.

Yes I agree the mainstream media reporting of science is terrible and doesn’t do anyone any favours.

Exactly MrsTerry - they make it sound like we can somehow prevent it! Or have done something “wrong” if it does happen.

Don't worry, he'll catch something soon enough and then you will wish the opposite!

So where does breastfeeding fit into this?
They encourage you to breastfeed for certainly six months of not up to 1-2 years (according to world health organisation) and one of the ways they push it is by telling you it prevents illness/infection in very young children.
So If this research is correct, would that not mean a baby would be better off not receiving it’s mothers antibodies and have formula milk instead so they are more likely to have an infection?

Your LO likely has a great immune system and that’s why he hasn’t been ill.

DD is the same. Was never ill as a baby, even through my regular bouts of throat infections. Went to nursery and for four months never caught a single bug despite several doing the rounds. The week after I stopped bfing, she was poorly and for about 3 months had a recurring throat / ear infection. After that in a further 3 years of nursery she only ever caught HFM and chicken pox and the very occasional cold.

She’s 9 now and I can count on one hand the days she’s been off school sick. There is a rampant tummy bug doing the rounds, she never got it. Our house is probably overly sterile as I’m a bit of a clean freak. I wouldn’t worry too much about your LO.

Breast milk is 'alive' (like probiotic yoghurt?) So its got lots of lovely microbes floating about.

Plus it doesn't stop you getting exposed to germs, but might stop you getting symptoms (if your DM catches the same bug and then makes the antibodies for it in her breast milk)

I think! Complete layperson here.

You're worried about this yes you've filled your home with fucking zoflora?? It's so toxic I cannot understand the obsession with it. Stop using it you'll feel a lot better about this sort of thing.

You’re misinterpreting Strange. It’s not about being ill but about being exposed to infection. A breastfed baby is still exposed to pathogens.

I hold my hands up I know very little about the processes of infection and subsequent illness or breastfeeding for that matter, other than breastfeeding is always said to protect a baby against illness. Which is what most people would probably think of when asked a benefit of breastfeeding.

This is why they should be careful about reporting things to the general public.

Just becAuse we don't become ill it doesnt mean we are mot facing/fighting infection

If you are leading normal life and you mention childminder then I would not give it a second thought!