Let Them Eat Dirt: Saving Your Child From An Oversanitized World

In the two hundred years since we discovered that microbes cause infectious diseases, we've battled to keep them under control. But a recent explosion of scientific knowledge has led to undeniable evidence that early exposure to these organisms is beneficial to our children's well-being. Our modern lifestyle, with its emphasis on hyper-cleanliness, is having a negative effect on our children's lifelong health. In this engaging and important book, microbiologists B. Brett Finlay and Marie-Claire Arrieta explain how the trillions of microbes that live in and on our bodies influence childhood development and why an imbalance in those microbes can lead to obesity, diabetes and asthma, among other chronic conditions. Offering practical advice from conception through to pregnancy and beyond on what parents can do to impact their children's health - from natural childbirth and breastfeeding to the benefits of antibiotics and vaccinations - this invaluable guide will help you to nurture stronger, more resilient and healthier children.