For Infant Immunity a Bit of Dirt Called Good

Cleanliness can be overdone, according to investigators here, at least when it comes to exposing the developing immune systems of infants to allergens. The researchers believe they have confirmed the so-called hygiene hypothesis -- that early exposure to allergens prevents the later appearance of allergy.

In a study of nearly 600 infants younger than a year, those exposed to high levels of fungi in the home were significantly less likely to have bouts of recurrent wheezing than those who had lower exposure, reported Yulia Iossifova, Ph.D., of the University of Cincinnati, and colleagues, in Allergy.

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