Pets reduce Allergy risk in children

Contact to house animals in early Childhood reduces the risk of allergies

Many children want a pet, but parents are not thrilled by this request often. You should give but yet a jerk, because according to a recent study, cats and dogs have also decreases on the health of the children quite a pleasing effect: The risk of an Allergy.

The professional Association of child and youth doctors (BVKJ) reported in a recent communication about the benefits of contact with Pets on the health of children. Infants who grew up with cats and dogs, developed in the later course of life, less allergies, and other diseases, compared to children without dogs and cats, the result of the study by a Swedish research team at the University of Gothenburg, published in the journal “PLOS One”.

The contact with Pets seems to reduce according to a recent study, the risk for allergies. (Image: DoraZett/fotolia.com)

Two different sets of data examined

On the basis of two different data sets, the researchers analyzed the University of Gothenburg the effects of contact with animals in infancy on the subsequent health of children. Although the suspicion that the contact with various germs of Pets strengthen the immune system and thus health in later life can protect. But it must not be forgotten that Pets are, for example, Carriers of so-called zoonoses.

House animal contact and risk of Allergy evaluated

The Swedish Team first checked the data from 1,029 children between the ages of seven to eight years, which has been closely monitored since their birth, both medically and regularly to Asthma, as well as other present allergies were investigated. At the same time, the contact with domestic animals was noted. In addition, the researchers analyzed data from 249 children in the age of eight to nine years, which have also been accompanied, since its birth.

Allergy risk is halved

In the first data set, the researchers were able to 49 percent of children without Pets is a disease allergies (e.g., Asthma, hay fever and allergic Rhino-conjunctivitis), reported the BVKJ of the study results. The child was as an infant, with a single animal contact, were only affected to 43 percent and in children with three Pets or more, the illness rate dropped to 24 percent.

Less sensitive responses of the children

In the case of the children of the second data set, the Allergy rate for children who were raised without a pet was 48 percent. Children with a pet in the household of sufferers to 35 percent and only 21 percent of the children who had grown up with several Pets, suffered later in life Allergy. “Overall, the children with dogs and cats reacted less sensitive both to animals and pet dander as well as Pollen allergens,” reports of the BVKJ.

Pets are just a way to reduce the risk of Allergy

Taken together, the analyses of both datasets suggest that children develop all the more rare allergies, the more animals you were exposed to as infants, reported the BVKJ. However, the Swedish research team also points out that Pets are not just a way to reduce the risk of Allergy. By a natural birth (vaginal birth), a life on the farm and lots of brothers and sisters, will that set the risk is also reduced. (fp)