Why are food allergies rising in children?
I have been thinking about this a lot lately and read about some theories on “Are Food Allergies on the Rise?” (Cheryl Sternman Rule)
Hygiene Hypothesis
The hygiene hypothesis makes sense to me. There are so many anti-bacterial soaps and disinfectants being used that a lot of people are not exposed to as many germs as they once were. We’re basically over sanitized.
Infections are prevented before they start with shots or are killed with the latest new antibiotics. Our bodies may not know how the heck to fight off germs or bacteria once exposed and our natural immune system no longer functions properly.
Feeding children too early/too late
Another offered theory is feeding foods to children too early or too late. Feeding too early does not make sense to me because babies used to start eating a lot earlier. Now they’re saying wait until six months. That seems a little late because most children will show an interest in solids long before then. Anyway, if anything my vote would be on feeding solids too late.
Being exposed to processed food is another theory and possible contributor but nobody really knows because it hasn’t been studied enough. I highly doubt all the chemicals, additives and hormones help the situation any however.
I remember when we practically lived off peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for snacks and lunches. Now there are so many children allergic to peanuts that you can’t send anything that may contain peanuts to school. For those of you who have food allergies or have children with them, what is your theory on why there has been such an increase?
January 27th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
This is an excellent topic, and one I may talk about one day (with a link back to you, of course
) - I do wonder what causes kids to be allergic so much more now a days, and I agree that we try so hard to protect our kids (from bacteria, bumps and bruises, ect), that they don’t have a chance to be KIDS sometimes. I’m not saying you should let your child ride without a helmet, but do they really need knee, elbow, hand, and shin guards to ride a bicycle on the grass? As for allergies, I think I want to do a bit more research, beacause it’s such a thoughtful topic!