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Daily bathing of infants may contribute to allergies |
Since 2002, the number of prescriptions to NHS Scotland for treating allergies has risen from just under 900,000 to nearly 1,500,000 last year. Professor Aziz Sheikh, chairman of the Leading Allergy and Respiratory Research Group at the University of Edinburgh has said that too much bathing can strip the skin of its natural and protective oils. Products such as soaps, shampoos and bubble baths can remove the protective layer from the skin, which is after all the largest organ of the human body. Removal of these oils can exacerbate eczema and increase the risk of developing other allergic conditions. Studies have shown that using peanut-based oils or creams on a baby’s skin can increase the risk of developing peanut allergy. This can occur because of the risk of breaking or drying out the skin by using soap products too frequently. Of course, babies do get very messy, so sometimes needing to bath them is unavoidable. In this situation, Professor Sheikh advises using simple, well-regulated products on the skin. Source: Deadline News August 2012
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