Super-clean parenting `can damage your kid`s heart`

London: It`s said that cleanliness is next to godliness -- but super-clean parenting can put kids at risk

of developing heart disease, a new study has revealed. Researchers have carried out the study and found that assiduous attention to cleanliness depresses a developing immune system, which can lead to cardiovascular problems in kids later in life. "Contrary to assumptions related to earlier studies, our research suggests that ultra-clean, ultra-hygienic environments early in life may contribute to higher levels of inflammation as an adult, which in turn increases risks for a wide range of diseases. "... we have this idea that we need to protect infants and children from microbes and pathogens at all possible costs. But we may be depriving developing immune networks of important environmental input needed to guide their function throughout childhood and into adulthood. "Without this input, our research suggests, inflammation may be more likely to be poorly regulated and result in inflammatory responses that are overblown or more difficult to turn off once things get started," Thomas McDade, who led the study, was quoted by the `Daily Mail` as saying. PTI