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Much to my relief, Thomas McDade, an associate professor of anthropology at Northwestern University, says that exposure to common germs may be a good thing:

Contrary to assumptions related to earlier studies, our research suggests that ultra-clean, ultra-hygienic environments early in life may contribute to higher levels of inflammation as an adult, which in turn increases risks for a wide range of diseases.

In the U.S we have this idea that we need to protect infants and children from microbes and pathogens at all possible costs, but we may be depriving developing immune networks of important environmental input needed to guide their function throughout childhood and into adulthood. Without this input, our research suggests, inflammation may be more likely to be poorly regulated and result in inflammatory responses that are overblown or more difficult to turn off once things get started.

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