Why playing in the dirt (and even eating it) may be good for your baby!

Panijao from Babies, Source: www.detroitnews.com

In the film, Babies, we see Ponijao in Namibia burying his face in the dirt where he finds a bone to suck on and lapping water up from a stream as he and his brother play in it. In the next frame, Mari is strapped into a decked out stroller as a group of moms take a walk around a city park before going back to her immaculate high rise apartment. In this film that follows four babies from around the world, hygiene practices stand out as the most striking difference as scenes transition from third world countries to the developed nations. You witness the babies having a much more intimate relationship with nature in Namibia and Mongolia, where a Yak laps up water from Bayar's bathwater while he sits in it. And from the movie's portrayal, these babies are just as happy and healthy as any other baby, even though their mothers are not constantly supervising where their hands go and what goes in their mouths. It leads one to ask, is all of this sterilization and obsession with cleanliness really necessary? Actually, some studies suggest it may be harmful.

According to a New York Times article, a group of researchers have developed what is called the hygiene hypothesis. All babies like to explore the world with their mouths. This innate tendency has developed because it holds an evolutionary advantage. Researchers are concluding that the millions of organisms and worms that are consumed with dirt and other items that babies put in their mouths, actually spur the development of a healthy immune system. High rates of autoimmune disorders, asthma, and allergies in the U.S. may be attributed to our germ phobia that has caused a cultural phenomena of hyper cleanliness. 

This in not to suggest that we should let our children loose in a pig sty. There are extremes on either end and neither being too clean nor too dirty is good. Researchers assert that public health measures such as access to clean drinking water and proper sewage disposal have saved millions of lives over the last century. 

So how do we expose our children to a proper amount of germs without going overboard? Dr. Joel Weinstock, a leading researcher in the field and the director of gastroenterology and hepatology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, offers us his suggestions, "Children should be allowed to go barefoot in the dirt, play in the dirt, and not have to wash their hands when they come in to eat."

Source: mnn.com

And for all you pet lovers out there, he goes further to say, "let kids have two dogs and a cat." This will apparently expose them to intestinal worms that will aid in the development of their immune system.

If you are interested in learning more about this subject, read the entire article here, and check out Mary Ruebush's book "Why Dirt Is Good."

To learn more about how to foster a relationship with nature in early childhood and it's associated benefits, check out the Research and Data page on the Office of Environmental Education's website. 

Speaking of which, there is an upcoming workshop on 2/23/13 in Whitsett, NC that parents may be interested in: Nurturing a Sense of Wonder, for early childhood.