By Kate Loveys
Obsessive parents who insist on keeping their children super clean could be damaging their hearts, scientists have claimed. According to a new study the old adage 'a little bit of dirt never hurt anyone' could hold true. And the current trend for the use of anti-bacterial gels, exacerbated by swine flu, could lead to heart disease in later life.
Downside of cleanliness: Obsessive cleaning could lead to heart disease
Scientists have conducted the first study of its kind that looks at the link between exposure to infectious microbes in early life and the risk of heart disease.
They found that assiduous attention to cleanliness depresses a developing immune system, which can lead to cardiovascular problems.
Prof Thomas McDade, lead author of the study, said that it is only relatively recently that humans have lived in such hyper-hygienic environments.
He said: 'Contrary to assumptions related to earlier studies, our research suggests that ultra-clean, ultra-hygienic environments early in life may contribute to higher levels of inflammation as an adult, which in turn increases risks for a wide range of diseases.
'In the US we have this idea that we need to protect infants and children from microbes and pathogens at all possible costs.
Author: Prof. McDade said the US culture of obsessing about germs was doing harm
'But we may be depriving developing immune networks of important environmental input needed to guide their function throughout childhood and into adulthood.
'Without this input, our research suggests, inflammation may be more likely to be poorly regulated and result in inflammatory responses that are overblown or more difficult to turn off once things get started.'
The research, carried out by North-Western University in Chicago was based on a study that began in the early 1980s with 3,327 pregnant Filipino women, following their children through to the age of 22.
The mothers were interviewed for behaviour related to hygiene levels and exposure to domestic animals.
They were visited at delivery and then every two months for the first two years of the children's lives. After this point all the children were visited once every four or five years.
Records were kept with data including infectious diseases and growth in height and weight.
Scientists compared how their environments, in early in life, affected the production of C-reactive protein (CRP) production in adulthood.
High levels of the protein in blood are thought to be an indicator of heart disease.
They found that CRP was at least 80 per cent lower for study participants when they reached young adulthood, relative to their American counterparts.
And as a result, they were at less risk of heart disease.
The results were published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
source: dailymail.co.uk
Downside of cleanliness: Obsessive cleaning could lead to heart disease 
Author: Prof. McDade said the US culture of obsessing about germs was doing harm
