Germ confusion runs rampant By USA TODAY

[Guest guest]

Germ confusion runs rampant By Anita Manning, USA TODAY

If you believe everything you hear, you'd think the world is a

cesspool of germs that threaten the safety of our children. Or that

our overly sanitized kids should be exposed to viruses and bacteria to

strengthen their immune systems. No wonder parents are confused.

Public-health warnings about superbugs, killer colds and pandemic flu

are enough to keep everybody on edge, says Harley Rotbart of The

Children's Hospital of Denver, a specialist in pediatric infectious

diseases. At the same time, proponents of the " hygiene hypothesis "

suggest that keeping children away from germs prevents healthy immune

system development and may contribute to rising rates of asthma,

allergies and autoimmune disorders.

Parents are " torn down the middle, " Rotbart says. " They say, 'What

should we be most worried about? What our kids can get or what we're

doing to prevent our kids from getting things?' "

A father of three, Rotbart says that whether he's at a PTA meeting or

on the soccer field, parents ask questions that reflect the latest

health scare. " If MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, a

drug-resistant staph infection) is in the headlines, the questions

are, 'What's the best soap, how can I prevent my kids bringing it

home, what antibiotic works and is there a vaccine?' If there's no

MRSA, the questions are, 'Aren't we giving kids too many vaccines?' "

A new book, The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History ($24, Farrar,

Straus and Giroux), traces wide swings in ideals of cleanliness over

the years.

" Every group thinks they were clean, no matter if it's Louis XIV, who

took two baths in his life, or us, who are probably over-clean, "

author Ashenburg says.

But today, she says, fear of germs has become mainstream, evident by

the abundance and variety of microbe-safe products, from personal

subway straps to ultraviolet toothbrush holders.

" I think the dilemma is probably most acute in North America, " she

says. " We have become the clean freaks of the Western world. " One

theory of why that is, she says, is insecurity caused by 9/11. " We

know now we live with unseen deadly enemies, " she says. Underscoring

that are the highly publicized scares of drug-resistant tuberculosis,

SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MRSA.

Though there clearly are new and re-emerging diseases to worry about,

Rotbart advises " prudent paranoia, " otherwise known as common sense.

" We are at a parental crossroads as far as germs are concerned, " he

says, but " there are answers. " Many of them are in Rotbart's Germ

Proof Your Kids: The Complete Guide to Protecting (Without

Overprotecting) Your Family From Infections ($29.95), published last

month by the American Society for Microbiology.

His prescription:

•Remember what Grandma said. Research has borne out the wisdom of

age-old parental admonishments to wash your hands, brush your teeth,

eat your vegetables and get a good night's rest. " There is science

behind hygiene and good nutrition and getting enough sleep at night.

That reduces infection, " he says. There's even evidence that staying

warm and dry on cold days may allow the immune system to shake off

exposure to cold viruses, so zip that coat and wear your boots.

•Save your money. Anti-microbial soaps may reduce the number of

microbes on the hands, Rotbart says, but there's no evidence they lead

to a healthier household. Of even more questionable usefulness are

antibiotic-impregnated products such as sheets, towels, toilet seats,

combs and kitchen counters. " No one who has reviewed any of these

inanimate objects has figured out how the antibiotic … is going to get

out of the material to treat the bacteria on the surface of the object. "

•Don't fear vaccinations. " Parents have become vaccine-wary and

vaccine-weary, " Rotbart says. By 18 months old, babies get 25 doses of

vaccine to prevent 14 diseases. Some parents may wonder whether so

many vaccines can overload a child's immune system, but Rotbart says

vaccines represent a " drop in the ocean of what our kids are exposed

to. " Babies encounter thousands of viruses, bacteria, molds and

chemicals every day. Though these bugs can cause 10 to 12 colds and

several bouts of intestinal illness every year, most cause no disease

at all. " We are constantly bombarded by challenges to our immune

systems, and we have survived on our immune system's ability to react. "

•Ditch the bulb. Rotbart believes the bulb nasal syringe, used by

generations of parents to clear a baby's stuffed-up nose, is nothing

short of bizarre. In a section headed " The Bulb Syringe Torture

Technique, " he says the idea behind it is that " to help relieve the

babies' discomfort, we'll squirt saltwater into their noses and then

stick a turkey baster into their nostrils and suck out the thick goo. "

Studies have not been done to determine whether the treatment relieves

symptoms, he says, but he advises parents instead to use a cool-mist

humidifier, or hold the baby in a bathroom with a steamy shower

running to loosen the mucus.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-12-09-germ-confusion_n.htm

10 HAND-WASHING MOMENTS

1. After playing with a sick friend or sibling, or handling something

a sick child has handled.

2. After using the bathroom. Use a hand towel to turn off the water

and open the door.

3. Before eating.

4. After high-fiving the opposing team, or at any mass-handshaking

event (such as a graduation, bar mitzvah).

5. After recess.

6. After school or day care.

7. After playing with animals or in areas where animals have been.

8. After playing outside.

9. After blowing the nose or coughing into the hands.

10. Before bedtime.

Source: Germ Proof Your Kids: The Complete Guide to Protecting

(Without Overprotecting) Your Family From Infections