LOS ANGELES, CA - Nail biting and thumb sucking may be nasty habits, but new research published in the journal Pediatrics shows that kids who habitually stick their fingers in their mouths actually grow up to have fewer allergies. Hmm. Gross.
Of the participants tracked, 50% of those with good manners developed allergies to a variety of things, including pets and mites. Children who did one or the other were 40% less likely to test positive for allergies. And the little imps who did both had only a 31% rate of allergic reaction as adults.
Children (and adults) are widely discouraged from nail biting and thumb sucking because our hands are teeming with bacteria. But researchers think that childhood exposure to germs may actually boost health later in life. It's called "the hygiene hypothesis." Coming into contact with viruses, allergens- and the family dog- somehow primes the immune system to fight microbial attacks.
More research is needed as to how exactly the dirt helps- but in the meantime you can stop over-sanitizing- and give the chronic nail biter in your family a break. Now, the authors of the study do NOT recommend that either habit be encouraged as a way to prevent allergies- but they also say their findings proves that a little dirt don't hurt.
"Kula kucha na kunyonya kidole cha kwanza ni tabia mbaya, lakini utafiti mpya uliochapishwa katika jarida la Pediatrics unaonyesha kwamba watoto ambao kwa kawaida huweka vidole vyao kinywani huwa na mzio mdogo.""" Hm. (Kushangaa) Ni mbaya sana. Katika utafiti huo, asilimia 50 ya washiriki wenye tabia nzuri walikuwa na mzio wa vitu mbalimbali, ikiwa ni pamoja na wanyama wa kufugwa na vimelea. Watoto ambao walifanya moja au nyingine walikuwa na uwezekano mdogo wa 40% wa kupima kuwa na mzio. Kwa wale ambao walifanya yote mawili, kiwango cha athari za mzio kilikuwa 31% tu. Watoto na watu wazima hupuuzwa kwa wingi kuumwa kucha na kunyonya kidole kwa sababu mikono yetu imejaa bakteria. Watafiti wanasema kuwa kuambukizwa kwa vijidudu katika utoto kunaweza kuboresha afya ya mtoto. Inaitwa "dhana ya usafi wa mwili". Kuwasiliana na virusi, visababishi vya mzio - na mbwa wa familia - kwa njia fulani huchochea mfumo wa kinga kupigana na mashambulizi ya vimelea. Utafiti zaidi unahitajika kuhusu jinsi hasa uchafu unavyosaidia - lakini wakati huohuo unaweza kuacha kusafisha kupita kiasi - na kumpa mraibu wa misumari katika familia yako mapumziko. Watafiti hawawashauri watu wafanye mazoezi ya kuondoa uchafu, lakini wanasema matokeo yao yanaonyesha kuwa uchafu mdogo haufanyi madhara.