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Bitten by the hygiene bug?

Is it okay if your kid mucks around in dirt? Here is the answer

We've officially declared war. On germs. All bacteria, viruses and fungi are bad, wicked, harmful, and they must be exterminated, so that they can't spread `infection'. (Mention `friendly' bacteria, and you instantly become a traitor and a very stupid one at that!) Not that leading a `germ-free' life is even remotely simple — it actually entails a whole host of lifestyle changes. To start with, one must walk without touching anybody or anything; clean hands with anti-bacterial gel after every handshake; never use a loo outside the house, or even if one does, ahem, not come into contact with any surface; never ever eat out in a place that's adorned with less than five shiny stars, as we all like to believe that the five shiny stars destroy all the bacteria somehow...

Fifty years earlier, anybody who tried these stunts would've been politely, but firmly told that they were crazy — but somewhere down the line, it all got obfuscated with political correctness and grand terminologies. Which is why, we now have those who're proudly calling themselves `neat freaks' and others who're sadly suffering from a mild form of `obsessive compulsive disorder'. As a rule, many of them are parents. Of small kids. And it's not tough to imagine why!

The life of a small child is inexorably linked with just about every germ that's known to mankind. If there's something dirty lying around, the child feels terribly attracted to it, has to touch it, feel it and definitely taste it, driving the parent mad. And so, armed with an arsenal of sprays, wipes and solutions, parents banish dirt and germs from the vicinity of the child.

Gowri Satish, mum and software professional, says she's indeed bitten by the `hygiene' bug. "When I used to take my daughter out in trains and other public transport, I used to ensure that she didn't touch the surfaces. And if she did, I washed her hands immediately. While at home, I still wash her plate and spoon with mineral water before she gets to use them."

Oh, she's not battling the bugs all alone. For, most conscientious parents fuss endlessly over their little ones, washing hands diligently before food, after food, after loo, after play, after everything. And for good measure, they scrub their hands too. Just in case, they come into contact with the child's mouth and they transfer `germs' into the kid!

"Repeatedly washing hands with soap and hot water naturally wrecks the skin, stripping it of moisture," says Seva Saravanan, homemaker and mum. "No wonder we mums complain our hands feel like sand-paper!"

But the paranoia is partly justified. Hand washing has been touted as the simplest way of keeping contagious diseases in check (especially tummy troubles), and drastically cut-down cross-infections. And what with so much information about the super-bugs being available at the click of a mouse, you can almost forgive the parents for being obsessed with the ritual cleaning. "But, anti-bacterial washes remove even the good bacteria. You can't even make dosa-batter ferment with squeaky-clean hands," argues Seva. "And it certainly makes kids less resistant to diseases," she adds. Agrees Priya Ganesan, mum and homemaker. "Doctors abroad say that exposing children to mess and dirt is not a bad idea, as it improves their immunity." The immune system, it is said, learns with every exposure to germs. While exposing an asthmatic person to cat fur is sheer idiocy, trapping a perfectly healthy child in an oxygen tent is uncalled-for too!

But really, can mums and dads steel their hearts and watch their kids mucking around in dirt? Isn't it instinctive to grab them, wash them and scrub them? "Luckily, my daughter Dhrithi never had the habit of picking up anything and putting it in her mouth," says a relieved Priya.

For many parents though, their hair turns completely grey — worrying about what nasty disease their child is contracting — even while the infant is teething (and merrily chewing everything in sight!) "Plastic and rubber toys can be washed. But soft toys are a real challenge," admits Seva.

So where does one draw the line? Educating a child and insisting on hygienic practices is fine. But, researchers say, putting the fear of God (and germs) into a two-year-old is kind of unwarranted. Hand washing isn't a bad idea altogether; but the famous twenty-minute brisk scrubbing with soap is necessary only if a rabid dog has had a go at you; not otherwise! And finally, if you don't want your kid to fall sick too often, just turn away the next time you see him/her playing the fool in the sandpit. Our generation did; and we're still alive; chances are, the next generation will survive too! Err, is this the cue to say `long live bacteria'?

APARNA KARTHIKEYAN

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