Career, Work, and Health (6)

If we really wanted to fend off allergic disease, the emphasis on the avoidance of allergens is somewhat misguided. Yes, if you're allergic to dust mites, you should avoid them. But if you wished to prevent allergic sensitization altogether, you needed to intercede earlier. The coup de grâce of allergy prevention consists of teaching the immune system tolerance from an early age.

How early it should be? The earlier the exposure began, the better. Children who accompanied their parents to the stables during the first year of life had less allergy compared with children who began working on a farm at school age. As matter of fact, even prenatal exposure counts. Indeed, you could predict a child's odds of developing allergy by measuring the endotoxin in her mother's mattress.

If you're interested in learning more on endotoxin and why pet ownership can help your child's health. Read the following article:

• Are Dogs More Protective For Children’s Health?

See also:

• Other Travel and Health articles