Children who have a bad habit of gnawing their nails or sucking their fingers, in the future are much less likely to suffer from allergic diseases.

About a strange relationship reported in the latest issue of the journal Pediatrics, University of Otago staff from New Zealand.

The research leader, Dr. Bob Hancox, an expert on respiratory diseases, talks about the possible introduction into the child's mouth of a large number of microbes that can change the immune system and reduce the risk of allergies.

On the other hand, there is a so-called theory of excessive hygiene. According to this theory, allergic and autoimmune diseases are associated with inadequate contact with microorganisms, that is, with an "excessively sterile" habitat.

Thus, the explanation of New Zealand scientists coincides with the popular theory.

Dr. Hancock and his colleagues analyzed data from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Study, a local scientific project that included 1,037 Dunedin residents. Each participant was observed from birth to pre-retirement age.

First, the authors were interested in the habit of nibbling their nails or sucking fingers at the age of 5, 7, 9 and 11 years. Secondly, these data should be compared with the results of skin tests for allergy, which was held by each participant at 13 and 32 years.

Doctors tested participants using the most common allergens in New Zealand: cats, horses, dogs, grass, dust mites, air fungus and t.

Skin tests showed that at the age of 13, only 38% of participants who sucked a finger or gnawed their nails in childhood were positive for at least one allergen.

Among the "clean", who in childhood did not do anything similar, potential allergies turned out to be as much as 49%. Such children, having grown up, became more susceptible to allergic diseases, asthma, hay fever.

The results were even more impressive for children who simultaneously paid attention to both nails and fingers: only 31% of them had increased sensitivity to common allergens.

Similar figures were obtained at the age of 32. Incredibly, the immune system, hardened by mud and microbes, continued to function correctly even after a quarter of a century, protecting adults from allergies.

The authors speak of the high reliability of the results obtained. They tried to take into account factors such as sex, family history, the presence of pets, parents' smoking, and even the duration of breastfeeding.

Be that as it may, Professor Hancock does not in any way approve of the habit of biting his nails and sucking his fingers. In addition to unproven health benefits, these habits carry a very real threat - infections transmitted through dirty hands.

"Our findings coincide with the theory of excessive hygiene, which suggests that familiarity with microbes at an early age reduces the risk of allergic diseases. If your child gnaws nails, do not worry too much about it, "- said the professor.

medbe. en.

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