In my view, one of the most important pediatric studies this year was just published (reference below).  For a long time, it has been recognized that growing up on farms can reduce the likelihood of developing conditions like asthma, as well as inflammatory bowel disease (Related post: NYT: Educate Your Immune System | gutsandgrowth).  This study: Innate Immunity and Asthma Risk in Amish and Hutterite Farm Children provides an in depth assessment of 60 children and helps uncover the reason for these epidemiologic results.

Here’s the quick 2 minute summary: Innate Immunity and Asthma Risk in Amish and Hutterite Farm Children