Gross or Genius? Sucking on Your Child's Pacifier
Whoa, did we hear this trend right? The latest documented fad among the stroller set is parents who put their kids' pacifiers in their mouths, then give them back to their children.
Disgusting as the sloppy seconds sound, there's a serious health benefit, says a new study published in the journal "Pediatrics." Researchers discovered that the kids whose parents sucked on their pacifiers to clean them developed fewer allergies and other ailments like eczema and asthma than parents who diligently boiled or rinsed them in water. Who'd have thunk it?
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Scientists are hypothesizing that exposing children to germs early on could stimulate their immune system, while shielding them from any potential bacteria might actually be detrimental to their health.
This is all good info to know, because "TIME" magazine just reported American kids have a higher allergy risk than children in other countries. Twenty percent of kids in the US experience some type of allergic reaction, be it to pollen, dust, animal hair, food, or other allergens.
What do you think? Is this pacifier behavior revolting, or should we be doing more of this old-fashioned, gross-seeming child-rearing, rather than disinfecting and baby-proofing everything for our kids?
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