Today I opened my weekly email from Babycenter.com, a quick few paragraphs to tell you if your perpetual teething machine is "normal". Rather it gives things to expect this week, developmental milestones, games to try, how your life as a woman is changing (as if I don't already know that I as a fun spontaneous person with a life outside the home has ceasted to exist).
Anyway- at the end of the email, a question is always posed to three professionals who answer with passionate opinion that is misconstrued as factual information. It is usually a hoot.
Today was no surprise. The Earth-Shattering topic today, wait for it...... "Is it okay for my baby to eat food that falls on the floor?" Really babycenter, that's the best topic we could come up with this first week in December? I would have perhaps found something about holiday travel, flu season, or winter weather exposure to be more informative.
So what did these experts say? Now obviously, the best place to serve dinner is not on the concrete patio or your kitchen floor but listen to these responses.

Dr. Kelly Ross, a pediatrician from St. Louis says that "Food that falls onto the floor collects germs as well as any toxins that may have entered the house on your shoes. It's okay for the dog, but not for your baby!"

and my favorite from Child Psychologist Leslie Gavin:

Even at home, it's probably not worth the risk of germ exposure to save that one bite of food.

What we have concluded here is that even though your eight-month old may be crawling around on the floor all day long (if he or she is on par for the developmental stages that babycenter says are coming) that he or she would become gravely ill from the evil carpet germs if food that touched the floor also touches the tongue. Never mind that their HANDS are on the floor all day long and anyone who has ever had a baby knows that the hands are in the mouth all day long as well. Or in their noses or touching their eyes. All of these places are packed with viral receptors that pick up germs. If baby doesn't get sick from carpet cruising, baby is not going to get sick from eating a cheerio that fell under the table. The digestive system is packed with immune cells to keep such things from happening.
It is not that I would let my child lick the supermarket floor or eat a spoonful of yogurt scraped off the mat in the car, I just thought that the emblazoned cry against the three second rule was a bit of overkill. Anyway, no truly important news to share, just a little rant in my post-45 toddler tantrum evening. Hope everyone has a good weekend and by all means, make sure the dropped spoonful of bananas goes to the dog.