Early childhood infections and the use of antibiotics and antipyretic-analgesics in Finland, Estonia and Russian Karelia.

Infections and the use of antibiotics and antipyretic-analgesics in early childhood were most frequent in Finland, where socio-economic conditions are the most developed and microbial encounters are sparse. This may reflect on the hygiene hypothesis, a less effective immune system that allows normally harmless microbes to attack and cause clinical infections.