Could a Dishwasher Raise Your Child's Allergy, Asthma Risk?

[iheartmaytag]

New study, maybe our dishes are too clean?

I may have Asthma, but I am still using my dishwasher, on sanitize. I'll lick a water fountain or something to help my immune system.

What Causes Asthma and Asthma Flare-Ups?

What determines why some people develop asthma and others don’t isn’t precisely clear. But research has found that several risk factors are associated with the breathing condition and triggering asthma flare-ups. Here’s what you should know.

www.everydayhealth.com

 

[firedome]

heard that study on NPR...

and it makes sense from an immunological point of view, for young and developing children.

 

[washingpowder]

I think certain hygiene standards should be continued. A lot of people take it to extremes, and I believe a child should not only be allowed, but also *encouraged* to play outside, pet animals, roll in mud puddles, you name it.
Certain dishes however are, or can possibly be, contaminated with pathogens I wouldn't risk not eradicating. Say, salmonella from eggs/raw meat; assortment of parasites; or uncle's touch of a sweaty mustache. While claims like 'they didn't have dishwashers before and survived' are expected, *they* also produced their food in different environments, but had a lot more diseases to fight with as well.
The development of asthma or eczema mentioned in the study may not necessarily come from decreased dish-present pathogen exposure. Modern dishwashing detergents and rinse aids are loaded with a variety of synthetic compounds. Together with lack of proper rinsing current dishwashers are known for it could be the reason. My eczema disappeared completely since I switched to 'natural' products. A visit at a friend's house always brings it back with wonders of Febreeze and other diamonds.
Another thing, one should assume dishes alone don't hold nearly enough responsibility for exposing children to pathogens. A single sneeze at school would probably play a much more significant role than all that the kid eats from. Immune system works based on general, environmental exposure, rather than one particular source, obviously. Single studies like the one mentioned always drive me insane. If the diswasher-friendly parents ran their machine on Sanitize, there's a good chance they also sterilized childrens' bottles each refill, vacuumed 5 times a day with a True HEPA-equipped device, never let the kids play in common (or considered unhygienic) areas, and so on.

 

[frigilux]

Here's my question: We come in contact with dishes/glassware for a relatively brief period of time each day. We're in contact with a thousand other bacteria/virus/germ-laden items/surfaces/people all day long. Are handwashed dishes so filthy they can make that big a difference in allergic reactions?[this post was last edited: 2/26/2015-14:00]

 

[foraloysius]

Quote: "However, he noted that due to the study's design, they could not definitively show a cause-and-effect relationship between hand-washing dishes and the development of fewer allergic diseases."

Personally I think this study is rubbish. You wonder how they performed this study. There have been other, more precise studies, one thing that stood out is that children raised in the countryside have less allergies than children raised in cities. Perhaps people in the countryside don't have as often a dishwasher as people in the city? That would be an explanation. There are other reasons thinkable for the result of this study. My advice: Use the dishwasher but let your growing up child play outside in natural surroundings as often as possible.

 

[iheartmaytag]

Guilty

"If the dishwasher-friendly parents ran their machine on Sanitize, there's a good chance they also sterilized childrens' bottles each refill, vacuumed 5 times a day with a True HEPA-equipped device, never let the kids play in common (or considered unhygienic) areas, and so on. "

My kid was a Preemie, her bedding was washed in laundry sanitizer after every diaper change, anti-microbial hand creams before contact, bottles & formula sterilized. Wasn't taken out of the house except Dr. appts, and those were specially arranged so she didn't wait in the waiting room with sickies. She's bigger now, immunes system like Ox, she eats dirt, licks toilets on a dare kisses the dog on the mouth. All that healthy stuff.

 

[washingpowder]

Well I think that's slightly different. With a premature baby the immune system isn't developed enough to handle the exposure, let alone process it into antibodies; lack of what you did to ensure hygiene could be rather scary.
A lot of people though continue their habits no matter the kids' ages and development.

 

[iheartmaytag]

I have to admit I am more a germohobe

than before the brat was born, though I have always been a little OCD about cleaning. I carry Hand sanitizer in my pocket. I take clorox wipes with me to McDonald's and wipe the table and seat. and well I bleach the hell out of everything, but that's just because I like chlorine.

 

[iej]

I'd be less worried about dishwashers, which mostly use heat and normal detergents to clean dishes. I'd be far more concerned about the widespread and growing use of anti-bacterials in kitchens and on surfaces and in floor cleaners.

There's normally no need to use all of these sprays and long-acting chemicals on surfaces.

There's clean and there's over-disinfected.
I'd rather take my chances with the normal, friendly, safe levels of bacteria than with some of the superbugs being created by selective disinfection and the nasty chemicals involved in the process!