Let The Germs Begin
Want to strengthen your child’s immune system? According to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine, children who attend day care or who live with two or more older siblings for the first six months of life are 40 percent less likely to develop asthma by the time they’re 6 years old than those who don’t.
“Early exposure to dust, viruses and germs seems to play a key role in the development of the immune system,” says Dr. Thomas Ball of the University of Arizona College of Medicine. “It also may help protect children from being susceptible to infection later on.”
However, children who already have asthma should try to avoid dust.
* Not that pure: Snow is definitely not pure. While kids can’t help but want to taste it, they’re better off playing in it than eating it. While a little scoop won’t make your child ill, more than that isn’t a good idea. According to Jeff Gaffney, an atmospheric chemist at Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago, “There are lots of toxins in the air, such as lead and mercury, that can get trapped in snow as it falls from the sky, and the more your child eats, the greater his exposure to these contaminants.”
* Stop the noise: According to a recent study in the journal “Ear & Hearing” more than 5 percent of school-age children have mild hearing loss. Loud toys may contribute to hearing loss in a child’s vulnerable ears.
To protect your child’s hearing, Child Magazine (Dec./Jan. 2001) suggests shopping with your ear. Put the toy up to your ear the way a child would. If it causes discomfort, or interferes with normal conversation, don’t buy it. Silent toys, like books and board games, encourage children to play in quiet, creative settings, make great gifts and are far less irritating to the rest of the family.
* Kids can survive divorce: Despite some recent negative reports, Parenting Magazine (Dec./Jan. 2001) reports that there’s some comforting news for parents wondering if a breakup might affect a child’s ability to have a serious relationship later in life. A study at Penn State University found that kids of divorced parents aren’t any more likely to have trouble with commitment than those who grew up in two-parent households. The study, which tracked 600 single-parent families for 17 years, found that the kids who were most trusting of others in their lives had maintained a close relationship with both parents after the split.
* Blanky fact: And you thought there was no substitute for a mother’s love. According to a recent study from the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, a favorite blanky is just as comforting as mom’s presence to a frightened 3-year-old on a visit to the doctor.