Pacifier

Ever use your own mouth to "clean" a fallen pacifier? It may have been a surprisingly smart move!

New research suggests that exposing your baby to the microbes in your saliva boosts her immunity and lowers her allergy risk. As The Huffington Post reportsvia Reuters, a small study in Sweden has found that this fallback "cleaning technique" lowers symptoms of asthma and eczema in young children. And although the researchers concede that other, untested factors could also be at play, allergy specialist Dr. Wilfried Karmaus says that parents at least have the go-ahead to rely on spit: "Parents should know that using their mouth to clean an infant's pacifier may be worth trying — and at the very least, shouldn't be harmful."

It's a dirty lil secret that most mothers don't care to share. When a lil one's pacifier falls to the ground, what's the easiest way to clean it before popping it back in their mouth? In mom's mouth, of course. According to doctors and dentists, the all-to-common practice may be fast, but it's also dangerous. Moving something from mom's mouth to tot's transmits bacteria, such as Streptococcus, which can lead to cavities in kids of all ages.

Someone may want to tell Orlando Bloom about these hidden dangers. The new pop was spotted leaving baby Flynn's pediatrician's office with the infant's Hevea car pacifier ($9) sticking out of his mouth. The natural rubber paci may be eco-friendly and sustainably produced, but if it's carrying dad's germs, all of that gets thrown out the window!