That asthma is a respiratory disease, especially common in childhood, and that affects younger children, is something known to all. Especially by parents who have a child diagnosed with this pathology, which, in many cases, is mild and disappears over time; but that, in others, it can be of complicated treatment, in addition to prolonging.
Therefore, each news or finding that arises around this painting usually makes a small "stir", understandable as any parent wants to be aware of whether something new has appeared that can help his son.
In this case, the news is very clear, according to a new study, apparently very serious (it is conducted by three universities, nothing less than Harvard, Tsukuba and Birmingham): Excessive protection against microorganisms in childhood could increase the risk of asthma.
Like any study, it is always convenient to analyze a series of aspects, so as not to draw conclusions that may lead to error, due to precipitation in the interpretation of the results.
Fundamental aspects of the study
According to the work, it seems that asthma is more frequent in children who, as children, have had less exposure to certain microorganisms.
The exit hypothesis was to consider that, paradoxically, the increase in the frequency of asthma could be related to a lower exposure to these germs, thanks to the better hygienic conditions that, little by little, are being achieved in many countries.
The study has been carried out with mice, in which it was found that contact with the influenza A virus, as a child, made them less likely to have asthma when they reached adulthood. Apparently, contact with this virus encouraged the development of a type of defensive cells (the so-called "NKT"), which could protect against the onset of asthma.
Another aspect that highlights the work, very complex, is that perhaps asthma treatments could be focused, based on the activation of "NKT" cell populations.
But ... what does all this mean?
Well, really, not much, for practical purposes: it is a very serious study, but conducted in mice, under very controlled circumstances, with selected germs, and with partial conclusions.
If you look, the project does not conclude if the useful thing is that the child comes into contact with certain microorganisms when he is small (something that sounds, clearly, very rare); or that new treatments of this pathology can be based on this finding, especially if it is confirmed that it is true that the proliferation of "NKT" cells can help protect children (something that seems somewhat more logical).
However, and as usually happens with each advance, more studies are needed, to confirm that you are going in the right direction, because an error of interpretation at this level can cause years and millions of euros to be invested in research that, in many Sometimes, they don't get results.
Therefore it is important to take these types of studies with caution. Hopefully, of course, as new ways of studying and developing treatments are opened.
But never draw hasty conclusions of the type "if my child suffers more infections as a child, then he will not have asthma", because obviously they can be very dangerous, as well as false!
