14 DAY TRIAL // It seems that the future generations will live in a 100 % sterile plastic box, spending all day playing computer games and watching television. But these behaviors in children nowadays seem to lower their immune system, making them more prone to infections and diseases.
It is a combination between many parents' obsession with guarding their children in a "sterile bubble" free of bacteria, and the lack of physical exercise (playing outside for a while, for example), that makes the "Playstation generation" over exposed to bacteria later in life. Experts warn that children must build their immunity by exposure to bacteria early in life and a difference between 'cleanliness' and 'obsession' should be made.
But a new ICM Research survey reveals that 60 % of the people think children must be kept away from all bacteria, and that's what most parents do: a constant use of anti-bacterial products and antibiotics that results in fact harmful for the children.
Cesarean births also deprive the child of the contact with the immune enhancing bacteria in the birth canal. The decline in breast-feeding also decreases the baby's chance of taking from the mother's milk the substances necessary to boost his/her immunity.
73 % of the respondents used anti-bacterial products, 42 % thought overall health would be higher if all bacteria disappeared, and 77 % regarded bacteria as dangerous. A gross lack of knowledge; it seems people do not realize that most bacteria are beneficial and life on earth cannot exist without bacteria. Even many aliments are obtained based on bacterial technologies, traditional or modern.
"With the huge media attention around dangerous bacteria such as MRSA, the marketing hype pushing total annihilation of bacteria via wipes or sprays, coupled with the dangerous reliance on antibiotics for almost any infection, there is a real concern that we are misunderstanding bacteria and the vital role some bacteria can play in our overall health and well-being and development of our young," said Professor Ken Jones, an immunologist at Cardiff School of Health Sciences.
"The Playstation generation no longer play outside with plenty of other kids as they used to. We live in smaller families and in less rural locations. All these factors mean children are less exposed to the variety of bacteria they used to be, which is crucial to the development of the immune system."
A new study found that primary school children spend about 7 hours and 46 minutes weekly watching television...which is the equivalent of a whole day at school: they play outside less (7 hours and 8 minutes) and spend only 3 hours and 51 minutes reading books.
A 2007 research made at Manitoba and McGill University in Montreal showed that babies receiving antibiotics had a double likelihood of experiencing asthma till or around the age of 7. "The use of antibiotics should be limited, especially within the first year of a child's life. There is a reason your doctor does not immediately prescribe antibiotics and you shouldn't pressurize them to do so. If you or your children do have to take antibiotics, then it is important to restore the balance of good bacteria.", said Jones.