by S A R A R I G B Y
Sara is online assistant
at BBC Science Focus.
She has an MPhys in
mathematical physics.develop a strong immune system, and in turn
stop it overreacting to allergens. If we can get
back these old friends, then we can quite
contentedly wash away the pathogens, most of
which evolved in the last 10,000 years, without
doing us any harm.How can you get in touch with ‘old friends’?
Earlier this year, a study published in the Journal
Of Investigative Dermatology found that a child’s
skin microbiome is most closely related to their
mother’s, and there was a noticeable difference
between vaginal births and Caesarean sections.
Most likely, a baby picks up their skin
microbiome during the birth, adopting these old
friends from their mother’s vaginal microbiome.
“The way we’ve lost exposure to beneficial
germs is not through household cleanliness, it’s
through lifestyle changes such as C-section
childbirth rather than natural childbirth, and
bottle-feeding rather than breast-feeding,” says
Bloomfield. “That’s a vital time when children
are getting exposure to the beneficial organisms
they need.”
Of course, pregnant women may well have
more pressing concerns than skin microbes when
choosing a Caesarean section, and breastfeeding
may not always be an option for mothers. So some
new parents have opted for ‘vaginal seeding’, a
process that involves swabbing a newborn with
the mother’s vaginal fluid straight after a
C-section has taken place. However, this is not
necessarily advisable: a 2018 review of the
evidence described it as “unjustified and
potentially unsafe”.What can you do to ensure your child develops
a strong immune system?
“It’s about getting a balance,” says Bloomfield.
“We should encourage children to interact with
each other, to get dirty, and we should treat them
in the right way with breastfeeding and the right
diet and avoiding antibiotics if we can.”
So it’s perfectly fine for kids to get muddy in
the garden – incidentally, most of the microbes
found in garden soil will be harmless anyway.
But then, when they come inside for a snack,
protect them from illness by making sure they
wash their hands. “What we’re trying to put
forward is this idea of targeted hygiene:
intervening in the places and the times that
matter,” Bloomfield says. “We call these ‘the
moments for hygiene’. It’s about containing that
risk at the moment when it is a risk.”
So if you don’t want to wash most of your skin
with soap products, you can still protect yourself
from illness by practising targeted hygiene (see
guide, right).What are the
moments for hygiene?
- WHEN USING
THE TOILET
Keep yourself clean and always,
always wash your hands. - AFTER HANDLING
RUBBISH
Remember to wash your hands a er
taking the bins out. - WHEN PREPARING FOOD
Wash your hands before touching
food. Wash fruit and veg. A er
preparing raw meat, wash your
hands and utensils straight away. - BEFORE EATING WITH
YOUR HANDS
Hands are a big carrier of microbes,
so make sure not to put harmful
germs straight in your mouth. - AFTER COUGHING,
SNEEZING OR BLOWING
YOUR NOSE
Wash your hands and dispose of
used tissues straight away. - WHEN LOOKING AFTER
SOMEONE WHO’S ILL
If they’re coughing, sneezing or
vomiting, they’re most likely
still infectious. - AFTER HANDLING
DIRTY LAUNDRY
There’s a reason you’re about to
wash it, which means you should
clean your hands a er you touch it. - AFTER PLAYING WITH
OR CARING FOR PETS
Even if your pets aren’t dirty, they
may still be carrying microbes
which are harmful to humans.
byS A R A R I G B Y
Sara is online assistant
atBBC Science Focus.
She has an MPhys in
mathematical physics.develop a strong immune system, and in turn
stop it overreacting to allergens. If we can get
back these old friends, then we can quite
contentedly wash away the pathogens, most of
which evolved in the last 10,000 years, without
doing us any harm.How can you get in touch with ‘old friends’?
Earlier this year, a study published in theJournal
Of Investigative Dermatologyfound that a child’s
skin microbiome is most closely related to their
mother’s, and there was a noticeable difference
between vaginal births and Caesarean sections.
Most likely, a baby picks up their skin
microbiome during the birth, adopting these old
friends from their mother’s vaginal microbiome.
“The way we’ve lost exposure to beneficial
germs is not through household cleanliness, it’s
through lifestyle changes such as C-section
childbirth rather than natural childbirth, and
bottle-feeding rather than breast-feeding,” says
Bloomfield. “That’s a vital time when children
are getting exposure to the beneficial organisms
they need.”
Of course, pregnant women may well have
more pressing concerns than skin microbes when
choosing a Caesarean section, and breastfeeding
may not always be an option for mothers. So some
new parents have opted for ‘vaginal seeding’, a
process that involves swabbing a newborn with
the mother’s vaginal fluid straight after a
C-section has taken place. However, this is not
necessarily advisable: a 2018 review of the
evidence described it as “unjustified and
potentially unsafe”.
What can you do to ensure your child develops
a strong immune system?
“It’s about getting a balance,” says Bloomfield.
“We should encourage children to interact with
each other, to get dirty, and we should treat them
in the right way with breastfeeding and the right
diet and avoiding antibiotics if we can.”
So it’s perfectly fine for kids to get muddy in
the garden – incidentally, most of the microbes
found in garden soil will be harmless anyway.
But then, when they come inside for a snack,
protect them from illness by making sure they
wash their hands. “What we’re trying to put
forward is this idea of targeted hygiene:
intervening in the places and the times that
matter,” Bloomfield says. “We call these ‘the
moments for hygiene’. It’s about containing that
risk at the moment when it is a risk.”
So if you don’t want to wash most of your skin
with soap products, you can still protect yourself
from illness by practising targeted hygiene (see
guide, right).
What are the
moments for hygiene?
- WHEN USING
THE TOILET
Keep yourself clean and always,
always wash your hands.
2.AFTER HANDLING
RUBBISH
Remember to wash your hands a er
taking the bins out.3.WHEN PREPARING FOOD
Wash your hands before touching
food. Wash fruit and veg. A er
preparing raw meat, wash your
hands and utensils straight away.4.BEFORE EATING WITH
YOUR HANDS
Hands are a big carrier of microbes,
so make sure not to put harmful
germs straight in your mouth.5.AFTER COUGHING,
SNEEZING OR BLOWING
YOUR NOSE
Wash your hands and dispose of
used tissues straight away.6.WHEN LOOKING AFTER
SOMEONE WHO’S ILL
If they’re coughing, sneezing or
vomiting, they’re most likely
still infectious.- AFTER HANDLING
DIRTY LAUNDRY
There’s a reason you’re about to
wash it, which means you should
clean your hands a er you touch it.
8.AFTER PLAYING WITH
OR CARING FOR PETS
Even if your pets aren’t dirty, they
may still be carrying microbes
which are harmful to humans.