Having siblings, keeping a pet, or living on a farm helps protect infants against the development of atopic diseases, but early infections increase the risk, according to new research from Denmark.
Researchers conducted four separate interviews with more than 24,000 pregnant women (twice during their pregnancy and again when their child was 6 and 18 months old).
Information on atopic dermatitis and infections before 6 months of age were recorded. Data on factors associated with exposure to microbes, such as number of siblings, pet keeping, living on a farm, and attending day care, were also collected.
The risk of atopic dermatitis increased with each infectious disease before 6 months of age. This contrasts with the common belief that infectious diseases early in life may protect against the development of allergic diseases.
However, the risk of atopic dermatitis decreased with each additional exposure to three or more siblings, day care, pet ownership, and farm residence. This protective effect remained after adjusting for number of infectious diseases, suggesting that it is established independently and very early in life, say the authors.
These findings support the importance of microbial exposure for preventing atopic dermatitis, but challenge the hypothesis that infectious diseases in infancy protect against its development, they conclude.
Source: British Medical Journal
Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25
June 30th 2025Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.
A Controversial Reboot: New Vaccine Panel Faces Scrutiny, Support, and Sharp Divides
June 26th 2025As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.
Getting Down and Dirty With PPE: Presentations at HSPA by Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski
June 26th 2025In the heart of the hospital, decontamination technicians tackle one of health care’s dirtiest—and most vital—jobs. At HSPA 2025, 6 packed workshops led by experts Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski spotlighted the crucial, often-overlooked art of PPE removal. The message was clear: proper doffing saves lives, starting with your own.