We should reduce reliance on potential allergens

Before I met my wife I was fairly relaxed about allergies and their causes as I am lucky enough not to suffer from any. She however is especially sensitive to dust mites, traffic pollution and many other substances – all of which cause her to suffer from eczema – which first appeared when she was about 22 years old.

I now know much more about eczema and how little is known about it. Since before we had our daughter we resolved that the best way to protect her from the allergy epidemic was to minimise her exposure to as many of the suspected causes of the allergy increase as possible. She is now 18 months old and so far has not shown any more than mild allergic reactions. It seems to us that in the current state of knowledge such a policy in the upbringing of children is what any parent should try to achieve. If all did so we would, of course, change the world pretty quickly.

John Leeson, UK