Is there an upside to children’s bad habits?
Countless children bite their nails and suck their thumbs. While this is typically discouraged, there may actually be some health benefits to this behaviour. A new study from New Zealand suggests these ‘bad’ habits can potentially be beneficial.
Such behaviours expose children to microbial organisms. Such exposure may be helpful in preventing allergies, aligning with the ‘hygiene hypothesis’. This hypothesis suggests exposure to microbes as a child strengthens the immune system and reduces the risk of developing allergies. The results of the study show this may be the case, as thumb-suckers and nail-biters were shown to be less sensitive when compared to other children.
See the results of the study on the Care for Kids website.
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