Beth Kevles wrote in message
...
SO, roulette it is, with the odds in favor of the child whose family
has
no history of allergy, or the child who spends its infancy around farm
animals, and even the child who starts daycare in early infancy! Go
figure.

The starting early in daycare seems to fit with the theory that today's
kids develop more allergies because they are in too clean of an
environment while their immune system is developing (due to so many
antibacterial cleaning products, etc.). In the relative absence of real
germs to fight off, the immune system goes haywire and reacts to food
instead. Probably the same theory explains the farm animals effect too.
Barns aren't the cleanest of places. :-)
--
Cheryl S.
Mom to Julie, 2 yr., 7 mo.
And Jaden, 2 months

Cleaning the house while your children are small is like
shoveling the sidewalk while it's still snowing.