NPR

How Letting Kids Get Dirty Helps Protect From An 'Oversanitized World'

With the onset of spring, children will want to play outside. When they do, parents might be tempted to whip out the hand sanitizer. (laterjay/Pixabay)

With the onset of spring, children will want to play outside. When they do, parents might be tempted to whip out the hand sanitizer. But, as the authors of the book “Let Them Eat Dirt: Saving Your Child From An Oversanitized World” argue, dirt and germs help microbiomes develop, which makes for healthier kids.

Here & Now‘s Meghna Chakrabarti spoke with co-authors B. Brett Finlay (@finlaylab) and Marie-Claire Arrieta (@ArrietaLab) in September 2016.

Book Excerpt: ‘Let Them Eat Dirt’

By B. Brett Finlay and Marie-Claire Arrieta

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