Germ Confusion Runs Rampant

Interesting story about infection risk and prevention in the 12/10 USA Today:

"If you believe everything you hear, you'd think the world is a cesspool of germs that threaten the safety of our children. Or that our overly sanitized kids should be exposed to viruses and bacteria to strengthen their immune systems.
No wonder parents are confused...

Though there clearly are new and re-emerging diseases to worry about, (Harley Rotbart of The Children's Hospital of Denver, a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases) advises "prudent paranoia," otherwise known as common sense. "We are at a parental crossroads as far as germs are concerned," he says, but "there are answers." Many of them are in Rotbart's Germ Proof Your Kids: The Complete Guide to Protecting (Without Overprotecting) Your Family From Infections ($29.95), published last month by the American Society for Microbiology.

His prescription:

•Remember what Grandma said. Research has borne out the wisdom of age-old parental admonishments to wash your hands, brush your teeth, eat your vegetables and get a good night's rest. "There is Science behind hygiene and good nutrition and getting enough sleep at night. That reduces infection," he says. There's even evidence that staying warm and dry on cold days may allow the immune system to shake off exposure to cold viruses, so zip that coat and wear your boots.

•Save your money. Anti-microbial soaps may reduce the number of microbes on the hands, Rotbart says, but there's no evidence they lead to a healthier household. Of even more questionable usefulness are antibiotic-impregnated products such as sheets, towels, toilet seats, combs and kitchen counters. "No one who has reviewed any of these inanimate objects has figured out how the Antibiotic … is going to get out of the material to treat the bacteria on the surface of the object."

•Don't fear vaccinations. "Parents have become vaccine-wary and vaccine-weary," Rotbart says. By 18 months old, babies get 25 doses of vaccine to prevent 14 diseases. Some parents may wonder whether so many vaccines can overload a child's immune system, but Rotbart says vaccines represent a "drop in the ocean of what our kids are exposed to." Babies encounter thousands of viruses, bacteria, molds and chemicals every day. Though these bugs can cause 10 to 12 colds and several bouts of intestinal illness every year, most cause no disease at all. "We are constantly bombarded by challenges to our immune systems, and we have survived on our immune system's ability to react.""


http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-12-09-germ-confusion_N.htm


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