Eat Your Dirt

Following up on the post Rub Some Dirt On It comes a study indicating early exposure to pathogens leads to a decreased risk of stroke and heart disease later in life.

See 80Beats: Let Kids Eat Dirt: Over-Cleanliness Linked to Heart Disease

...parents should develop a healthy medium between letting kids get dangerously sick and raising them in a nearly sterile environment. “In the U.S we have this idea that we need to protect infants and children from microbes and pathogens at all possible costs. But we may be depriving developing immune networks of important environmental input needed to guide their function throughout childhood and into adulthood”

Getting Vaccinated Pros And Cons

Two divergent views in national magazines.

The Atlantic: Does the Vaccine Matter?

Newsweek: The Long-Term Evidence for Vaccines: Vaccination does more than protect against flu. Study after study shows that keeping children safe from viruses has long-lasting, positive health benefits.