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FORT MYERS, Fla.- According to a new study from New Zealand, children who bite their nails and suck their thumbs may be less likely to develop allergies as they grow up. Dr. Annette St. Pierre-MacKoul stopped by the studio to talk about the study and what you can do if your child has these habits.
Hygiene Hypothesis:
- Bad habits: thumb sucking and nail biting
- Children are exposed to more microbes
- This alters their immune function and decreases chances of allergies
Recommendations:
- Do not recommend or encourage nail biting or thumb sucking
- Parents should not stress if their children have these bad habits
- Hygiene Hypothesis is correct
- Exposure to microbes as a child decreases your risk of developing allergies