Dirt - It Is Not Just For Boys

More hygiene hypothesis to explain why girls appear to be less healthy than boys. See NPR: Why Keeping Little Girls Squeaky Clean Could Make Them Sick

The converse of this topic was recently on the Diane Rehm Show: "Cinderella Ate My Daughter"

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”

Rub Some Dirt On It

The hygiene hypothesis usually refers to respiratory illnesses such as asthma, but the BBC reports on new evidence that indicates when kids play outside and get dirt in their scrapes and wounds they are introduced to bacteria that prevents unnecessary swelling.

See: Dirt can be good for children, say scientists: Children should be allowed to get dirty, according to scientists who have found being too clean can impair the skin's ability to heal.

Revisiting The Hygiene Hypothesis

NYT: Babies Know: A Little Dirt Is Good for You

Dr. Ruebush deplores the current fetish for the hundreds of antibacterial products that convey a false sense of security and may actually foster the development of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria. Plain soap and water are all that are needed to become clean, she noted.

“I certainly recommend washing your hands after using the bathroom, before eating, after changing a diaper, before and after handling food,” and whenever they’re visibly soiled, she wrote. When no running water is available and cleaning hands is essential, she suggests an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Dr. Weinstock goes even further. “Children should be allowed to go barefoot in the dirt, play in the dirt, and not have to wash their hands when they come in to eat,” he said. He and Dr. Elliott pointed out that children who grow up on farms and are frequently exposed to worms and other organisms from farm animals are much less likely to develop allergies and autoimmune diseases.

Also helpful, he said, is to “let kids have two dogs and a cat,” which will expose them to intestinal worms that can promote a healthy immune system.