Wipe. Scrub. Soap. Wash.

This is the mantra of countless parents who spend hours making sure their toddlers have clean hands, a shiny face and freshly washed toys.

If a pacifier drops, these germ-conscious parents wash it off. If a toy is shared with another child, they scrub it clean. These parents refuse to give in to the onslaught of germs, invading by sneak attack through seemingly inane sources: a shopping cart handle, a waiting room magazine or a trip to the park.

But for the vigilant, there is some potentially confusing news afoot. Germs, it seems, may be good for children. And what’s more, being too clean could be more harmful than parents ever imagined.

An increasing number of medical researchers now suspect that being too clean can have some deleterious effects on toddlers, causing them to become more susceptible to serious illnesses later in life, when these illnesses can be more difficult for the body to defend itself against, says Dr. Lester Mitscher, professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of Kansas. What’s more, say researchers, being an overly clean child can lead to childhood diseases, such as asthma.

Asthma -- the most common chronic childhood disease -- is increasing each year in the United States without fail, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. The journal also reports that industrialized countries have a higher rate of asthma than do poor and medically underprivileged countries. A search of similar medical journals reveals that statistics such as these have prompted researchers to study everything from exposure to dust mites and cockroaches to eating habits and diet, in an attempt to determine the origins of these curious findings.

Recent research published in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that the cause of asthma may be too much cleanliness. The more sterile the early environment for infants 6 months and younger, the more problems with asthma they seem to have later in life.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, found that young children with older siblings and those who attend day care are at increased risk for infections, which in turn may protect against the development of allergic diseases, including asthma.

But this news can be confusing to parents who have been ingrained with the importance of keeping children clean to prevent all manner of illness. The plethora of antibacterial products currently on the market also adds to the confusion. These germ-fighting products have found their way into everything from baby wipes and bath soap to laundry detergent and plastic toys.

Even schools are encouraging the use of antibacterial products.

Kate Rauhauser-Smith, of Clarksville, Tenn., says her daughter’s school requested antibacterial hand sanitizer as part of its school supply list.

"I would actually rather that (the teachers) just take (the students) to wash their hands, but I guess shepherding 22 kindergartners in and out of the small bathrooms is kind of difficult and time consuming, not to mention hard to make sure their hands are washed well," Rauhauser-Smith says.

And while she isn’t opposed to using antibacterial products -- such as bath soap or baby wipes -- on her children, Rauhauser-Smith says she typically does not seek out products that contain these germ-fighting agents.

Others, such as parent and grandparent Karen Hawkins of Bridgton, Maine, are more cautious.

"I encourage the children in my home to just use a bar of plain soap when they have dirty hands that need washing," Hawkins says.

Sharon-Kaye Hector, mother of two toddler boys in Silver Spring, Md., agrees.

"Teaching my children to wash their hands is a good thing," she says. "I guess I lucked out in that both my children love water. My oldest son stands in front of the sink and sings while he washes his hands."

This type of thorough -- and old-fashioned -- hand-washing with soap and water is an appropriate way to fight the every day encounters toddlers face with illness-causing germs, says University of Kansas’ Mitscher.

Mitscher, who has conducted extensive research on the pros and cons of antibacterial agents, believes these types of cleansers can have benefits. Mitscher also believes that nothing can replace consistent personal hygiene.

"If people will wash their hands thoroughly at appropriate moments, soap and water would be enough," he says. "But the average person really doesn’t. It takes 30 seconds to really scrub your hands clean, which is a lot longer than the average person believes it to be."

For the scores of people that researchers like Mitscher -- and all of us -- have witnessed who simply rinse their hands under running water without soap, the advent of a market-place brimming with antibacterial agents holds great value.

And, when blended with soap or detergent products, these agents can really enhance the power of cleansing agents.

However, Mitscher takes exception to recent research suggesting that today’s children are too clean. Instead, he suggests a more moderate approach.

"The key in all of this medical research is to neither wallow in filth or be too clean," he says.

And, simply adding an antibacterial agent doesn’t guarantee a germ-free surface. Much of the plastic used to manufacture childrens’ toys is now impregnated with antibacterial agents, he says, which doesn’t substantially reduce the amount of surface germs with which children are likely to come into contact.

However, the use of antibacterial agents in a daycare situation with multiple children or when a child is known to be ill can be of value in preventing the spread of illness, he says.

But does being excessively clean cause asthma? Mitscher doesn’t believe so.

"That is still to be sorted out," he says. "It’s hard to believe that cleanliness is really a problem. You don’t see too many kids who are spotlessly clean all of the time."

However, Mitscher does admit that while it seems contradictory, children do require a certain amount of germs to remain healthy.

"Exposure to some germs boosts a child’s natural immunities," he says. "And that’s not bad. People need to use common sense. There’s no replacement for a good, thorough hand-washing."

Some parents, like Hawkins, agree.

"I am a firm believer that we have become a nation of ‘dirt phobics,’ " she says. "I believe it’s important for children to be exposed to some germs. At my house, we try to keep clean, but we don’t focus our lives on total cleanliness."