D
irt and germs are probably at the top of the
list of things parents want kept away from
their children. But children love to explore,
so it’s not always easy to keep kids and germs
apart. Hulda Thorey, founder of Annerley and a mother
of four, recalls the time her eldest son got into the sandbox
and ate the sand, plus part of his knitted hat. “Both the
sand and threads came right through him undigested.
Very attractive in the diaper!” she remembers. For Hulda
and most parents, it’s not easy to stop young children
from putting everything around them into their mouths.
But while all parents want to protect their children from
exposure to infectious diseases, is this fear of germs limiting
our children’s freedom to explore outdoors, which is so
important to their overall development?
Hygiene hypothesis
In 1989, a researcher named D P Strachan published
the “hygiene hypothesis” in the
British Medical Journal
.
The theory is that diseases such as asthma and allergies
are becoming more common because children are not
exposed as often to the bacteria that help build their
immune systems.
Ronald M Ferdman, MD, at the Keck School of
Medicine, who primarily treats children with severe
allergic and immunological conditions, notes that, “It
seems that parents these days are a lot more worried about
minor infections in their kids ... Nobody would say that you
should purposely expose your child to infections. On the
other hand, there is no need to keep children in a bubble.
In America, there is no risk of exposing children to malaria
or some horrendous disease. But parents do get upset if
their child comes down with a cold.”
There’s no need to be over-vigilant when it comes to
being sanitary, since not all germs are bad. Hulda says,
“
Playing with sand, in the grass, in water, on the floor –
Put down the alcohol wipes! A few germs might
not be such a bad thing, writes
Katie McGregor
.
there are healthy bacteria that children become exposed
to when picking up, touching and probably licking things
from the floor and the environment. Children are able to
develop their own immune system, rather than relying
solely on immunisation.”
Hulda, who lives on a boat, prefers to have her children
exposed to the sea, sand and rain. “Any time it rains, I put
mine outside, instead of inside,” Hulda says. “Don’t get me
wrong: I am not trying to suggest that children should be
in unsafe environments – quite the opposite: kids should
be able to play with supervision but without constant
intervention by adults.”
“
Before allowing them to play somewhere, make sure
that the place is safe,” Hulda says. “The objective is to
put babies in a normal environment without hazards.”
The benefit of allowing children to play freely is that they
become familiar with sensing objects that exist in nature,
rather than just ready-made and sterile toys.
The balance is crucial for a child’s development: when
parents over-sanitise their children’s environment to protect
them from exposure to diseases, they are depriving their
children of the opportunity to build up their immune systems.
The upside to outside
In addition to building a stronger immune system, letting
children play outdoors can have many other benefits.
Playing outside can lower a child’s chances of obesity.
Outside play is associated with higher physical activity than
playing indoors, and the US-based Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention recommends one hour per day
of outdoor play. Activities such as running, jumping and
climbing are enough to engage a child’s cardiovascular
system and major muscle groups to help them grow up
healthy and strong.
Another benefit of outdoor play is that it can help with
the production of vitamin D, which is primarily produced
irty
little secret
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