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Is dirt good for a child’s health and immunity?  An article published by the New York Times was brought to my attention. “Babies Know: A Little Dirt Is Good for You” reports on evidence  that shows eating dirt is good for babies and children.  It’s an instinctive behavior that helps train the immune system by introducing important micro-organisms into a child’s developing body.

There is also growing evidence that shows that intestinal worms actually help aid the immune response. While they are disappearing from developed countries due to ultra-hygienic practices, most of these worms are harmless in well-nourished people and have good effects on conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

 

Now this doesn’t mean that you should never bathe your child again, let the dishes pile up or eat out of garbage cans, but there is a balance to regain against the anti-bacterial, bleached environment we try to create for our newborns. Bottom-line, let your kids play in (or even eat)  dirt  (organic, pesticide/herbicide-free dirt, of course!).  And, when you compare what babies may be exposed to when they mouth their potentially lead-laden, phthalate-containing, plastic teething toy, a little dirt seems pretty harmless.

 

This story was previously published on babyminding.com and is republished with permission here.

 

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