ISTOCK, FAIRYWONGAs parents, we all want what’s best for our kids. However, it’s not always clear what that is. At every turn, we are faced with questions where the answers are not yet known or are unknowable. Although the evidence in support of some practices (vaccination) and against others (licking lead paint) is incontrovertible, most decisions will be made in the face of inadequate evidence but all too many opinions. This applies to decisions involving the development and maintenance of a child’s microbiome.
If I can’t breastfeed, should I use human milk from a milk bank rather than formula, even though the pasteurization process will kill off any beneficial microbes and many beneficial compounds? Will my child’s microbiome be improved—and their risk of developing allergies reduced—by rescuing a dog or a cat, or is it best not to have a pet? Should dropped food items be discarded once they touch the floor, or can they be safely consumed even if they’ve been sitting around for a while? Is in-home care better or worse for my child’s microbiome than daycare with other children, where they will be exposed to a much broader range of beneficial microbes but also to pathogens that can harm them?
Such questions are especially difficult ...
