Is Your Baby Isolated in a Lysol Prison?

Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of India’s independence movement, popularized the expression, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” Any doctor would agree that cleanliness is on the pathway to health nirvana. But are we going too far in keeping young children isolated from common germs? Are some parents doing a disservice to their youngsters by keeping them too clean? For decades, immunologist have been studying whether exposing young children to a little dirt might strengthen the ability of their immune systems to fight infection later in life. Research by Sir Mel Greaves, Professor of Cell Biology at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, England, shows that children raised in cleaner environments are more likely to have weakened immune systems.