Let The Kids Get Grubby. Docs Say it's Good for Them.

We know that when you say that it's bath time, you mean it, so rest assured that we have no interest in undermining anybody's parental authority.

However, a recent medical study performed by doctors at the University of California San Diego is reported by BBC to indicate that letting the youngsters get a little bit dirty is probably good for them. Hyper-cleanliness may do away with some normal bacteria that live on the skin and when called to duty in instances of minor cuts, help hasten the healing process and keep excessive inflammation and swelling at bay.

The study is published in the journal Nature Medicine and as the BBC points out, lends additional credence to the notion that permitting exposure to dirt and germs during the first years of life can help strengthen the immune system and minimize the risk for developing allergies later on.

Focusing on a particular strain of Staphylococci bacteria that normally lives quite contentedly on the surface of the skin, researchers found this bacterial hanger-on will interact with cells found in the outer layers of the skin to keep the inflammation response in check when the skin suffers a minor injury.

But to be clear, we fully understand your interest to step right in with the wash cloth to tend to those small, jelly-covered hands before the TV remote gets all sticky.

Photo courtesy of St0mrz via flickr