Have you ever compared the way a new mom cares for her first born and second born?

So often, first time moms go overboard in trying to keep their precious little bundle healthy and safe. They tend to over dress them, keep them out of the sun, cold and rain, and making sure to keep them from putting anything and everything in their mouths. They will constantly wipe their face and little hands, trying to prevent exposure to any and all germs.

By the time baby number two comes along, things are often much different. Number two is not over dressed as often and is exposed to more sun, cold and rain than baby number one. Mom isn’t as paranoid as to what baby number two puts in his or her mouth.

Then if there is baby number three, four or more, things get more and more lax with each baby. I knew one family with seven kids and mom basically left most of the care for number seven to the older kids.

Many pediatricians will say that first time moms can sometimes do more harm than good by being so over protective. Many firstborns often have more health problems later on than subsequent siblings because they weren’t allowed the chance to develop antibodies and immunities to many common illnesses and germs.

We already know that babies who are breastfed are healthier later on because they obtain valuable antibodies and immune system boosting nutrients in their mom’s milk that they don’t get from formulas.

We already know that there is some evidence that using formulas can lead to an increased risk of developing allergies and asthma. This is crucial because it seems that the instances of children with allergies and asthma has been on the rise over the past couple of decades. Is it coincidence that this also mirrors the increased used of formulas?

A new study indicates that there is another thing that parents can do with their babies that will help reduce their risk of developing allergies and asthma as they grow up.

One of the most widely used tool in caring for a baby is the pacifier. Infants can spend hours every day sucking on a pacifier and there is nothing wrong with that.

But what happens before you give your baby his or her pacifier? Some moms run to the sink and rinse it off and some just shove it in the mouth.

However, a new study shows that when parents suck on the pacifier first, before giving it to their baby that it reduces the chance of your child developing allergies or asthma.

As reported by Fox News:

“Could sucking on your baby’s pacifier reduce their risk of developing asthma and allergies? According to a new study, it just might.”

“In a study released Friday by the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Mich., researchers found babies had a ‘lower level’ of the antibody Immunoglobulin E, or IgE, when their parents sucked on their pacifier to clean it. IgE is “linked to the development of allergies and asthma,’ according to the study.”

They say that more study is necessary to follow up on their findings, but it only makes sense that parents provide many vital nutrients through a variety of ways. After all, consider that in older days, many moms would partially chew the food for their infants as they grew. Not only were they making it easier for their young ones to eat and digest, but they may also have been passing healthy benefits on to their little ones through their saliva.