Child Immunity

In an effort to keep coronavirus at bay, people are cleaning their hands, clothes, and homes more than ever. The use of antimicrobial solutions has exploded. Public areas, such as stores and schools, are now being constantly cleaned and sanitized, often as a legal requirement. This frequent cleaning and sanitizing may put children’s immune system at risk and predispose them to illness.

An apparent paradox of immunity is that people get sick less often if they have had regular exposure to pathogens. Exposure in childhood is particularly important and can provide immune protection throughout life. Most experts now believe that extensive use of antibacterial soap and disinfectant cleaning solutions are counterproductive to a child’s immune system. Compulsive cleaning without using disinfectants is also a problem. Rates of asthma and allergies among children have risen considerably over the last 20 years, which many experts attribute to increased disinfectant cleaning and washing. With less exposure to microbes, children have a hard time developing a healthy immune system and are more likely to develop these inflammatory conditions.

Numerous studies have found higher rates of asthma, allergies, or respiratory infections in children living in highly sanitized households. One study found that infants who had contact with peanuts had lower rates of peanut allergies later in childhood. Avoidance of peanuts in early childhood resulted in worse peanut allergic responses later on. A 2015 study published in Occupational & Environmental Medicine studied infection rates in 9000 children across Europe. The study found that children living in households that used bleach as a cleaning agent had higher rates of flu, tonsillitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, and other infections.

The toll of interfering with children’s normal exposure to microbes is now beginning to show. In July 2021, New Zealand saw a large number of children develop respiratory illness and straining their hospitals due to their lockdown-depressed immune systems.

In addition to pathogenic exposure, contact with microbes is healthy because most of them actually help you fight infection. 97% to 99% of microbes are benign or beneficial to humans. Microbial exposure diversifies and strengthens the microbiome, which is the collection of trillions of microorganisms that live in and on the body. For children 3 and under, it is most important to have contact with a diverse range of microbes to build up the microbiome.

Strengthening a child’s microbiome is the best defense against infection. A diverse microbiome has many benefits. It activates immune cells and lowers harmful microbes by competing with them. It keeps inflammation and autoimmune responses properly regulated, lowering incidence of allergies, asthma, and many other diseases. “Exposure to microbes is an essential part of being human,” says microbiologist Kiran Krishnan, chief scientific officer at Microbiome Labs. “Most of our immune system is comprised of tissue that requires activation by the microbes we’re exposed to. The immune system requires the presence of friendly bacteria to regulate its functions.”

In addition to pathogenic exposure, contact with microbes is healthy because most of them actually help you fight infection. 97% to 99% of microbes are benign or beneficial to humans. Microbial exposure diversifies and strengthens the microbiome, which is the collection of trillions of microorganisms that live in and on the body. For children 3 and under, it is most important to have contact with a diverse range of microbes to build up the microbiome.

Strengthening a child’s microbiome is the best defense against infection. A diverse microbiome has many benefits. It activates immune cells and lowers harmful microbes by competing with them. It keeps inflammation and autoimmune responses properly regulated, lowering incidence of allergies, asthma, and many other diseases. “Exposure to microbes is an essential part of being human,” says microbiologist Kiran Krishnan, chief scientific officer at Microbiome Labs. “Most of our immune system is comprised of tissue that requires activation by the microbes we’re exposed to. The immune system requires the presence of friendly bacteria to regulate its functions.”