Microbes In Farm Dust May Provide Clue To Why Amish Children Have Fewer Cases Of Asthma
A study in The New England Journal of Medicine finds that close contact with animals may help protect against asthma.
Los Angeles Times:
Amish Kids Help Scientists Understand Why Farm Life Reduces The Risk Of Asthma
The old-fashioned ways of the Amish are helping researchers make new discoveries about the origins of asthma. By studying the blood, genes and environmental dust of 30 Amish children from traditional farming families in Indiana, scientists were able to zero in on the innate immune system as a key player in thwarting asthma and the allergic reactions that can trigger it. Their findings appear in Thursday’s edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. (Kaplan, 8/3)