A new study found that the best way to clean your kid's pacifier is by licking it clean.

Researchers in Sweden found that when parents at least occasionally cleaned pacifiers by licking or sucking them rather than washing them or boiling them, their kids were significantly less likely to develop some real health problems.

Kids who used licked pacifiers developed fewer allergies and had lower rates of asthma and some allergies.

The researchers say it's more proof that exposing your kids to a small amount of germs is a good thing, because it makes their bodies and immune systems tougher.They're not sure whether all the benefits are a direct result of the licked pacifiers. Or because parents who would lick a pacifier to clean it are the kind of parents who are less likely to keep their homes in a pristine clean state.

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