YOUR CHILD'S NAIL BITING OR THUMB-SUCKING? DON’T WORRY, THEY ARE A GOOD IMMUNE SYSTEM

ENGLISH GOOD NEWS
Are you a parent who is worried about your child’s nail biting or thumb-sucking? A new study in the journal Pediatrics says that these worries might be exaggerated. In fact, the team from the the University of Otago in New Zealand found that there may actually be benefits to thumb-sucking and nail-biting in children. It is all related to the hygiene hypothesis, which posits that early exposure to germs and allergens train the immune system to deal with them in a safe and effective way. Consequently, children who were described as having an “oral habit” such as thumb-sucking had reduced levels of allergies compared to children who did not have such a habit. By exposing themselves to an assortment of allergens early in life, the children trained their immune system to recognize allergens, meaning that later exposure would not trigger an allergic reaction. http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/upside-thumb-sucking-nail-biting-2016071910032
By Zachary Penati Aguilar