URL: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/06/06/319420973/early-exposure-to-bacteria-protects-children-from-asthma-and-allergies
Authors name: Nancy Shute
Date of publication: June 06, 2014
Summary:
Babies who are exposed to both bacteria and allergens within the first year of their life are less likely to have asthma and allergies in later life.The idea that children who are exposed to bacteria's in early life resulting in a stronger immune system in later life is referred to as the hygiene hypothesis, which states that inner city children who are exposed to cockroach, mouse and cat allergens in the first year of life have less wheezing at age 3 and children exposed to bacteria's in the Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes groups have less allergies also, however children that were exposed to both will do best of all. However the hygiene hypothesis is not perfectly formed and a lot more tests and results need to be found in order for it to become a well believed theory. The hygiene hypothesis has flaws and contradictions, such as children who grow up in an urban area, and are exposed to cockroaches and mice should, under the hygiene hypothesis, be healthier in later life. This does not hold true for most children in these circumstances and they end up sicker than children not exposed to cockroaches and mice. Parents should not act upon this new hypothesis until clinical trials on animals and on human have been carried out
Babies who are exposed to both bacteria and allergens within the first year of their life are less likely to have asthma and allergies in later life.The idea that children who are exposed to bacteria's in early life resulting in a stronger immune system in later life is referred to as the hygiene hypothesis, which states that inner city children who are exposed to cockroach, mouse and cat allergens in the first year of life have less wheezing at age 3 and children exposed to bacteria's in the Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes groups have less allergies also, however children that were exposed to both will do best of all. However the hygiene hypothesis is not perfectly formed and a lot more tests and results need to be found in order for it to become a well believed theory. The hygiene hypothesis has flaws and contradictions, such as children who grow up in an urban area, and are exposed to cockroaches and mice should, under the hygiene hypothesis, be healthier in later life. This does not hold true for most children in these circumstances and they end up sicker than children not exposed to cockroaches and mice. Parents should not act upon this new hypothesis until clinical trials on animals and on human have been carried out
Description of relevance:
Anthony Fauci and Robert Wood used hypothesis-based science in their research on the hygiene hypothesis. They firstly observed many cases of infants living in different locations with different environments, by looking at health records. Then they made a hypothesis which stated that children exposed to particular stands of bacteria as an infant are less likely to have allergies and asthma in later life. This is a suggested answer to a well-defined scientific question. When this hypothesis was made, tests were carried out to test their predictions and many results stand in agreement with the hypothesis however evidence has been found that contradicts the hypothesis. This means that the test does not support the hypothesis fully and a revision of the hypothesis is needed in order for it to eventually become a scientific theory.
How did the researchers of this theory initially try to test it if they couldn't test it using human examples because of safety concern? What was their method of collecting data?
ReplyDeleteHannah, Anthony Fauci and Robert Wood collected data from children's health records from the inner city where children would be more likely to be exposed to cockroach, mouse and cat allergens and compared them with children in rural areas where there would be less chance for the children to be exposed to these allergens. In this way, they could compare how the children's health either resulted in healthier immune systems in later life or more likliness to sickness.
DeleteHow were the babies exposed to the mice and cockroaches? Does this apply to having to have them touch you or near you? Also, would the risk of getting diseases from the organisms affect the hypothesis or in other words would that risk affect their health long term?
ReplyDeleteBabies were not directly exposed to these allergens, rather, scientists have studied babies who live in inner city rural area where mice and cockroaches are more likely to be found and they compared them to babies in settings where they are less likely to be exposed to these allergens. The reason as to the flaws in the hypothesis is that it is contradicted, as children who grow up in an urban area, and are exposed to cockroaches and mice should, under the hygiene hypothesis, be healthier in later life. However this does not hold true for most children in these circumstances and they end up sicker than children not exposed to cockroaches and mice. Therefore, the hypothesis needs to be revised and more tests need to be carried out on it.
DeleteIf babies are exposed to these circumstances and are allergic to the rats or cockroaches could there reactions become worse over the years? Or would they only become better and easier to deal with?
ReplyDeleteI couldn't really find an answer to this specific question, however, I could predict that the children would take medicines that would protect them from bacterias they are allergic too, however if the medicines fails to protects them from these specific strands of bacteria, then their case would probably worsen over the years.
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