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Calgary Herald

Nieman: Pediatrician prescribes healthy dose of outdoor play

A few days ago, I learned a new word: petrichor. Article content I was part of a group of men who enjoyed a meal together in a rural area close to Calgary. The dinner was nourishing, and as we transitioned from inside the restaurant to fresh air outside, I noticed a pleasant scent, made possible by soft rain that had fallen moments before we stepped outside. Article content Article content Petrichor is the early scent generated by rain falling upon the soil: a compound, geosmin, found in soil bacteria, is involved in generating the pleasant smell. In addition, oils from plants also release a scent secondary to being exposed to rain. Article content Article content This reminded me of another term I learned a few years ago at a pediatric conference, where the keynote speaker, Richard Louv, introduced me to the idea of NDD (nature-deficient disorder). I often refer families to Louv's national best-selling book, Last Child in the Woods. Article content Article content One of my favourite questions to families who come to see me in June is, 'What are your plans this summer?' Very often, I hear about camping trips or hikes in the mountains close by. I make a point to affirm the parents for their efforts to allow their children to gain first-hand experience of the mental and physical health benefits of nature. Article content The list of benefits of being outdoors is quite long: better physical fitness; improved motor skills; reduced stress; better focus (attention); less anxiety; improved moods; enhanced cognitive skills; better self-esteem; improved sleep, and possibly a reduced risk of nearsightedness (myopia). Article content Article content Getting children's hands dirty by allowing them to play in soil and making mud pies can be a very good thing. When a grandparent accompanied one of my patients not so long ago, we had fun reminiscing in a rather nostalgic way about our childhoods – a time when there were no cellphones, laptops, personal computers or video games. Instead, we got dirty and played in the mud. Article content Exposure to dirt ironically improves our gut microbiome and leads to a better immune system. The hygiene hypothesis suggests that when children are not exposed to dirt, they have a higher risk of allergies later in life. (For parents who are keen to get more information on this, I suggest a report by the Wild Life Federation, The Dirt on Dirt; How getting dirty outdoors benefits kids, which can be found at