Okay so I’m sure you’d have the same reaction I had when I saw this, I was like, really? How can bad habits be good for a child’s health? But then, a study says these two bad habits can be good for your children’s health and when you look at it deeply, it makes sense. So, if your child has these bad habits, don’t freak out, it’s a good thing.
These two habits which we often try to stop our children from engaging in could be good for them. What are these two bad habits? Thumb-sucking and nail biting! A new study has suggested that kids sucking their thumb and biting their nails might actually have some health benefits.
As unbelievable as this may sound, apparently these two habits can protect children against developing allergies in their adult lives. The study found that children who had these habits were less likely to develop allergies to things like dust mites, grass, mould and fur.
We had one eyebrow raised when we heard about this latest study but the science behind it makes sense. These two habits help a child’s immune system by exposing them to germs from a young age.
The study followed 1,037 cases from birth to adulthood and was published by the University of Otage in New Zealand. Parents reported their children’s habits intermittently throughout their childhood and then were tested for allergies at the ages of 13 and 32.
It found that children who had sucked their thumbs or bitten their nails in their younger years were 11% less likely to develop allergies in adulthood. And children who did both were at an even lower risk with them being 18% less likely to develop allergies than those children who did neither.
That is not to say you should introduce your children to thumb sucking and nail biting ASAP but if your children have these bad habits let them rest.
Comments
Comments
