When my best friend came to the hospital to meet my daughter, the very first thing she did was walk into the bathroom and wash her hands. She's a mom; she knew the drill. Becoming a crazy, obsessive hand washer is all part of keeping your baby safe. Or is it?
Moms! Fellow worshippers at the church of hand sanitizer and soap! Listen up! A new study shows all that anti-bacterial soap may not be such a good thing for our babies, especially if you're nursing.
Researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville studied rats to see how triclocarban, a chemical often found in antibacterial bar soaps, affected them while nursing and in the womb. They determined exposure to the compound may reduce the survival rates of babies.
Eek!
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And here we thought we were protecting our babies from all those freaky germs out there that could make them sick? So much for that.
This isn't the first time anti-bacterial soaps have come under fire. Some folks suggest avoiding them entirely, and the FDA is reviewing their safety.
Not to mention there are plenty of studies out there about all the good things dirt can do for our kids, even itty bitty nursing babies!
So maybe it's time we all just relax a little bit? Pick up our kids without a surgeon-style scrub-down once in awhile? Just think of all the extra time you'd have for cuddling that cutie if you weren't spending it over the sink.
Do you use antibacterial soaps?
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