Is the pursuit of a bacteria-free world making us sick? The rising incidence of asthma and allergies in the developed world could be tied to the relatively sterile environments our children live in compared to a generation ago. Children are not exposed to harmful bacteria and consequently are given antibiotics to kill bacteria, do not receive the germ exposure required to make antibodies. More specifically, they do not develop T-helper cells, which fight foreign cellular invaders and minimize allergies.