This is more evidence on the importance of exposure to the environment for children...in this case, Finnish researchers found that children who were exposed to a broader range of microbes in the air were less likely to develop asthma. Further they "showed that farm-like microbiota of the child’s home protected children from asthma also in urban homes." (I guess I should better appreciate that smell wafting over from the campus cow barns)
File this under - what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
FIHW
https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/-/microbiota-in-home-indoor-air-may-protect-children-from-asthma-how-to-bring-protecting-microbiota-into-children-s-everyday-lives
Microbiota in home indoor air may protect children from asthma – how to bring protecting microbiota into children’s everyday lives?
Large amounts of a certain type of bacteria, most likely from outdoors, may reduce the child's risk of developing asthma. This was shown by THL’s new study that analysed the microbiota in over 400 Finnish homes. However, the study was unable to identify individual bacterial taxa that provide protection against asthma.
It remains unclear why exposure to microbes protects against asthma. Earlier studies have found that high diversity of microbes is of particular importance in protecting against asthma. THL’s study, published in June, also showed that farm-like microbiota of the child’s home protected children from asthma also in urban homes.
Finns spend 90% of the time indoors – contact with natural microbiota has decreased
On average, Finns spend 90% of the time indoors and more and more often in an urban environment. This means less contact with natural microbiota. The diversity of bacteria protects against asthma but certain soil microbes protect even more effectively.
“In this study, we identified certain groups of bacteria found in soil that protect against asthma. These groups of bacteria provided more effective protection against asthma than the previously observed diversity of microbiota”, says Anne Karvonen, Senior Researcher at THL.
“If we want to develop products that protect against asthma, such as microbes that you can bring home or place on the skin, it would have been helpful to identify individual asthma-protective bacteria. However, our results help to restrict the bacteria that should be studied more.”
Increased contact with nature is beneficial.
“We could explore nature with children more often and play in the nature instead of urban playgrounds covered with rubber. With regard to microbial exposure, it is important to have contact with nature in our everyday lives”, says Karvonen.
The article titled “Indoor Bacterial Microbiota and the Development of Asthma by 10.5 years of age” written by THL researchers was published in a science journal called the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in August 2019.
Further information
Indoor Bacterial Microbiota and the Development of Asthma by 10.5 years of age
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Study: Farm-like indoor microbiota may protect children from asthma also in urban homes
THL’s press release, 17 June 2019
Anne Karvonen
Senior Researcher
THL
tel. +358 (0)29 524 6325
firstname.lastname@thl.fi
Updated 28 Aug 2019
29 Aug 2019
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