An over-sterile germ-free environment in the first year of life is one of the major causal factors behind childhood leukaemia, a new study suggests. Prof Mel Greaves, from the Institute of Cancer Research in London, claims the most common form of childhood leukaemia — acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) — could be prevented by “priming” infants’ immune systems by exposing them to harmless bugs. Prof Greaves’ own research points towards a two-step process of genetic changes leading to the disease in children with abnormally formed immune systems. PeaksHistorical records show “spikes” of childhood leukaemia cases have come six months after flu epidemic peaks. He said parents should “in no way” be blamed for children developing leukaemia, but advised them to be “less fussy about common or trivial infections”.

Source: The Irish Times May 22, 2018 07:41 UTC