According to the New York Times Health writer Jane E. Brody, recent scientific developments have discovered that babies' consumption of dirt can help build a healthy immune system.
The study, called the hygiene hypothesis, reports that eating dirt exposes the immune system to several organisms such as viruses and bacteria, allowing the immune system to respond and develop naturally stronger.
Howard University Nursing major Dana Barnes believes "it is possibly a productive way of building up your [immune] system, but not one that I would personally recommend for babies, or anyone at that matter".
I personally agree. The thought of a mother allowing her child to eat dirt in order to build an immune system just does not sound like healthy parenting to me. But scientifically speaking, it just may be okay.
