A clinical trial has found that small children who avoided peanuts for the first five years of their lives were up to seven times more likely to wind up with a peanut allergy than kids who ate peanuts at least three times a week.

The trial results offer support for the "hygiene hypothesis," which ties the rise in allergies and autoimmune disorders to the sterile environment made possible by antibacterial soap, disinfectants and other cleansers. A study published in the journal Pediatrics found that children whose families used dishwashing machines were more likely to have allergies than kids whose plates were washed by hand.

All of this unnatural cleanliness robs the immune system of the opportunity to develop resistance to germs and other substances that humans used to encounter on a regular basis, the Los Angeles Times said.

The alarming rise of peanut allergies has led to the banning of peanuts from schools, airlines and other places.

For the first time, researchers have shown that children who are regularly fed small amounts of peanuts from their infancy are actually less likely than others to develop peanut allergies.

Parents shouldn't try this diet on their own, says Rebecca Gruchall, chair of allergy and immunology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Parents of high-risk babies should have a have a doctor perform appropriate tests to show whether the peanut regimen used in the study is safe for their child.

Robots help with Canadian hospital care

At some hospitals in Canada, doctors are using robots to communicate with patients.

The technology allows patients to link up by video with specialists.

Physicians can use smartphones to remotely control the robot and interact via video link with a patient.

More importantly, the doctor can connect diagnostic equipment such as stethoscopes, ultrasounds and electrocardiograms to see, touch and hear the patient.

Long-term birth control gaining popularity

A new report says long-term methods of birth control are becoming more popular among women.

In 2013, seven percent of women of age used IUDs and implants.

that's up from less than 2 percent in 2002.

Two-thirds of women use contraception. The pill was the most common, used by 16 percent of women ages 15 to 44.