'A must-read for parents' William Sears, author of The Baby Book

'This book might change your perspective on real cleanliness and along the way help you to raise healthier kids' Giulia Enders, author of international bestseller, Gut

'Should be read by every pregnant woman, every parent, every paediatrician'
Professor Margaret McFall-Ngai, Member of the National Academy of Sciences

In the two hundred years since we discovered that microbes cause infectious diseases, we've battled to keep them under control. But is our modern lifestyle, with its emphasis on hyper-cleanliness, having a negative effect on our children's lifelong health?

Let Them Eat Dirt is a ground-breaking book which explains how the millions of microbes that live in and on our bodies influence childhood development and how an imbalance in those microbes can lead to obesity, diabetes, asthma and reactions to vaccines, among other chronic conditions.

Taking you from conception to pregnancy, to birth and beyond and packed with simple and practical advice on what parents can do to positively impact their children's gut health including sections on birth options, breastfeeding, the use of antibiotics and the importance of good bacteria and diet, this is a must read for parents everywhere.