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hygiene hypothesis |
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hygiene hypothesis, n the theory that excessive prevention of early childhood exposure to dirt and pathogens can stunt the development of the immune system. hygiene hypothesis Allergy medicine The theory that a clean modern lifestyle alters the immune system, ↑ susceptibility to allergies. See Leipzig disparity. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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Other epidemiologic evidence found to support the hygiene hypothesis include a higher prevalence of eczema, skin prick positivity, and allergen specific IgE in children brought up in smaller and more affluent families and in firstborn children (Strachan 1989; Wickens et al. Two examples will suffice: 1) Non-germ freak comment, "I read about this hygiene hypothesis that says being too clean is causing increased illness. As such, it adds to evidence in support of the hygiene hypothesis, which holds that early, frequent exposure to infectious agents prepares the immune system to fight off diseases rather than to turn against a person's own tissues, as occurs in autoimmune diseases, say Anne-Louise Ponsonby of Australian National University in Canberra and her colleagues. |
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