Exposure to certain animals may prevent rather than trigger asthma and allergies, experts believe.
Lab workers who frequently handled research rodents had fewer allergic reactions to the animals as a result, an Imperial College London team found.
The researchers believe it is the type of exposure that is important.
A recent study found early childhood exposure to cats increased eczema risk, whilst early exposure to dogs appeared to be protective.
Exposure
The latest work, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, supports the "hygiene hypothesis" of asthma and allergic diseases.
According to the hygiene hypothesis, exposure to naturally occurring infections and microbes might essentially immunise against the development of asthma and allergies.
Dr Meinir Jones and her team suggest that the laboratory workers were experiencing a natural form of immunotherapy via exposure to animals through their occupation.
Dr Jones said: "Interestingly, this does not seem to be the case for other groups at risk of occupational asthma such as bakers and detergent manufacturers."
Natural immunity
She believes the difference lies in the fact that lab workers get exposure not only through inhalation but also through the skin if they are bitten or scratched.
Among the 689 lab workers they studied, those who had antibodies in their blood that were specifically produced in response to the rodent allergens had a two-fold reduced risk of developing work-related chest symptoms than those who had only non-specific antibodies in their blood.
Furthermore, the ratios of rodent-specific antibodies were highest in those lab workers who had handled the greatest number of rodents.
Another possibility is that workers handling a larger number of animals might have been exposed to greater levels of dirt and other microbes which may protect against allergic disease, as suggested by the hygiene hypothesis, said the authors.
Commenting on the research Dr Karen Pacheco of the National Jewish Medical and Research Centre in Denver, the US, said: "This approach suggests that peak exposures are more important for the development of immune responses to laboratory animals than average exposures."
A spokeswoman from Asthma UK said although the work was helpful, more research was still needed.
"This research helps us understand the risks people may face when working with animals. However, we still have much to learn about allergen exposure and and the risk of developing asthma."
Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/5132674.stm
Last night was a tough one. I was wracked with muscle aches and couldn't carry baby but was able to muster some strength after some time with my friend, the koyok (all over my right arm), to lift him up and burp him. We finally put him to bed at midnight after hours of fussing.
Amazingly he slept till 4.30am. I woke up in relatively less pain and managed to pick him up and feed him. He was back in his cot at 5am and then woke again at 6am. My back protested violently this time and I decided to bring him to our bed one feed earlier this time.
He was quite awake and cooed till 7am when he finally dozed off. Some time from then till 11.15am he woke up and I fed him lying down. I could barely sit up for the 11am feed but reckoned my poor boobs needed a decent work out.
He was delighted after the feed. He cooed, smiled, and laughed, and did an explosive poop. Post-diaper change, I dressed him into his favourite (my favourite actually) Creysi romper and hugged him on the back-saving My Brest Friend thingy (thanks, Ma!).
Anyhoo, at the end of the day, I can only blame myself for my own poor nutrition. Weight's been falling off but I've been so tired. I weighed myself this morning and I've lost another 3kg. That's no consolation for my aching muscles all over and lowered immune system.
I'm catching a cold, partly from being tired, not eating enough, and from the multitudes of koyok on my arm, which are rather cold when exposed to the a/c. So today I need to run my immune booster plan, which really means more OJ and green tea, and some carbs.
Hubby fed me two raisin buns (hail carbs) and a glass of milk. I have a slice of cod in the oven now but I think, for the first time since teenhood, I'll need to load up on carbs for more energy. Drinking OJ now while baby dozes contentedly in his stroller sans music.
It was a late night for the three of us as we loitered around at Uncle Andrew's house. The guys played Xbox while Aunty Yi and I carried Jack and watched Legally Blonde.
An even tougher night for me after as Jack woke every 2-3 hours, more 2 than 3. I was quite buggered this morning but very amused that Jack has blown out a nostril-sized piece of snot from his nose!
The amazing critter has been amusing himself, laughing and cooing, by swatting a little yellow chickie toy someone bought for him I hung on his stroller. :) He's now smiling widely at his Grandma!
Poor Jack had a bad case of wind last night. I didn't manage to burp him and he was crying for half an hour before he finally got the gas out. I'd gone through the obvious checklist (not in that order):
He finally slept at midnight and didn't wake till 4am. I felt rather rested and he fed well. He went to sleep again at 5am but woke again when his tummy upset him at 5.45am. By the time I settled him beside his Dad and I (too tired to put him back in cot), it was 6am (or was it 7am?).
Mid-way he woke for a feed and I fed him lying down. We both dozed till 10am and I got up to feed him. Daylight was declared and I changed him to his ladybug shirt. We danced to Allan Sherman till he dozed and now he's happily napping on his stroller.
Meanwhile, I noticed Boy finished most of his food this morning. I'd given him a huge spoonful, so I am glad it isn't so much his health affecting his appetite than the prospect of shameless vultures circling him as he eats. :p
* He first smiled in his second week. * He hated being swaddled since his second week. * He loves Vivaldi. * He has his grandpop's wavy hair. * He has an astonishing range of facial expressions. * He grunts and snorts in his sleep (sometimes). * He is growing eyebrows now! * He stops and concentrates when he poops. * He looks at me and sticks out his tongue when he wants to nurse.
1. You will feel an overwhelming love for your baby
And this will escalate over time.
2. You won't feel the episiotomy cut
They inject you even if you have an epidural (just to be safe). If you see the scissors like I did, close your eyes and just push.
3. You will forget the pain of childbirth and labour
The sleepless nights that follow are responsible for that, and also the joy of nurturing your child.
4. Your body needs to heal
Get help during your first month, preferably Mom or a confinement lady (so you won't feel guilt about Mom taking the night shift all the time).
5. You will feel some pain below
Take them painkillers and sit on a doughnut cushion.
6. Breastfeeding will be a tough nut to crack
But persevere. I dreamt each day of weaning but told myself one day at a time. Now, it's cakewalk.
7. You will get used to the night feeds
Good grief. I used to love sleeping in, sleeping 8-10 hours everyday especially on weekends. How I have thrived on broken sleep of 1-3 hours each time is beyond me. But I coped within the first week of trying, which is this week.
8. Throw out the superstitions
I ate soya sauce with relish, watched horror movies and Animal Planet, bathed daily, washed my hair, and we're all fine. Do check which things you are supposed to avoid from your doctor.
9. Take pain relief when you need it
Whether it is in the labour ward or post-delivery, take the pain relief that is offered you. Technology is there for a reason. Keep your options open. Plus, for me it was easier to concentrate on pushing with an epidural while watching the chart, rather than racked with agonising pain.
10. Breastfeeding does help you lose weight
I gained 20kg during my pregnancy. Lost 6 kg post-delivery. Looked 5 months pregnant when I left the hospital. Pumped milk every three hours for my jaundiced baby from the get-go. Breastfed as much as I could while supplementing with formula. After 5 weeks I have lost 13kg and breastfeeding exclusively. I look like my old self, more or less. Tummy isn't quite flat but getting there. 7 more kg to go.
11. Your back will hurt like hell
From breastfeeding, carrying baby, and just being plain old tired. Buy the MyBrestFriend back support cushion (for when your tum is gone), stock up on koyok, book your massage lady, take pilates, get a Baby Bjorn baby carrier.
12. You will never be the same again
It's like Jean Grey rising from the lake. Dumbledore's phoenix rising from the ashes. Neo taking the blue pill (or was it red?). There's no turning back. Your life has irrevocably changed. You're now a mom and are responsible for that little one in your arms. Welcome to parenthood!
How quickly the past 5 weeks have flown by. I have barely been able to get some time for myself, let alone 2 hands to type a blog entry. We're getting into a schedule now, Jack and I, but first, the highlights of the last 5 weeks.
Week 1: Pumping extravaganza. Feeling helpless and useless as a new Mom, I pumped for almost every feed and delivered the milk to the hospital three times a day. Boobs engorged to the size of rock melons, with emphasis on rock.
Week 2: Jaundice level down, home to Mom's for confinement. Epi wound healing but sore. Bought doughnut cushion. A necessity. Exhausted from night feeds. Baby smiles at me. Photographic evidence. Struggle with breastfeeding. Try unsuccessfully to go watch X-Men III.
Week 3: Hubby and I got dengue from errant mozzies. Fever for 3 days. The itching and ugly spots were worse. Immune to pain of drawing blood now. Whole estate was infested with a total of 26 cases to date. Spared of night feeds by a concerned Mom.
Week 4: Final week of house arrest. Getting better. In-laws arrive and coo over baby. On Independence Day, Mom takes us out to celebrate. Can't remember where. Maybe Plaza Singapura to buy Baby Bjorn baby carrier. Watch X-Men III with hubby. Sorely disappointed.
Week 5: Home alone with baby. Coping well with night feeds and getting baby on schedule. Breastfeeding second nature now. Baby farts and coos a lot.
Painful and regular contractions (notice no capital CON) started around 10am, waking me up on Sunday morning and continued every half an hour till 1.15pm when we decided to head down to the hospital. Some CONs in between.
Must be the placebo effect for the dang contractions stopped then. They put a heart monitor to gauge the heart beat of BB and measure the contractions. His heart was racing. To my surprise I was having 1 contraction (no longer CON?) in 10 minutes although in the 1.5 hours I was there, I only felt one moderately painful one. Dilation was disappointingly only 1cm although my cervix was softer. But the doc did say I was in established labour because of the latter and reckoned I'd be back tonight or tomorrow.
So we came home. My folks brought mother's day lunch to me and we ate up hungrily. Watched telly till about 5 with no contractions till they returned at 6.18pm when I was dozing. Another arrived at 7.18pm and continued every half an hour to forty minutes all through CSI.
Anxious to avoid another having to come home thingy, the hub examined me (still 1cm - dang!) and has gone to sleep (around 2am) while I forge on with the annoyingly more regular painful contractions since midnight (every 15 minutes) and now edging along 10-12 minutes. The contractions seem more bearable when I sit up, so I am sitting on my squidgy cushion and surfing to distract myself.
The contractions (those even worth logging) range from ho-hum to back-breaking howlers (that being me). Let's see how long I'll hold out here...
"To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness." -- Bertrand Russell
"Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages."
-- Thomas Edison (Harper's Magazine, 1890)
A woman's romance with motherhood, green living, finance, and this heady thing called life.
