Interesting article about nursery attendance etc helping to decrease risk of leukemia

[Jody R]

https://www.nature.com/bjc/press_releases/p_r_apr02_6600274.html

The study is supporting the theory that children who mix with others (and therefore are exposed to normal childhood illnesses) build up an immune system that helps reduce their chance of getting this form of leukemia.

They say that attending nursery from a very young age is one of the ways this can be achieved but exposure from siblings and friends is also good, as is vacination.

So it seems that the more children mix with other children from an early age, the better protected they are.

 

[Christine33]

For me this makes perfect sense. My son Ali has been going to nursery since about 11 months of age (part time) and he is rarely ill. In fact, the only times he has been off has been when he has been teething and that isn't an illness. There are so many advantages of children mixing with each other (with or without mum there).

 

[Jody R]

It's certainly made me think about things a bit more, I make sure we get to as many playgroups as possible now and I've stopped hovering over Joseph while we are there.

So if nothing else he's got a bit more freedom (as much as he can at 14 months old) to roam and play and he seems to be enjoying it.