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Hair of the Dog May Prevent Allergies
TUESDAY, Aug. 27 (HealthScoutNews) -- Pets have long been blamed as a major source of allergens in the home, but a new study may give them at least a partial furlough from the doghouse.
Researchers say some children exposed as infants to two or more pets in the house are less -- not more -- likely to develop allergies to dogs, cats, and other irritants later.
The findings, appearing in tomorrow's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, confirm earlier, counterintuitive studies from the United States and abroad showing that pet dander seems to protect children from allergies and asthma.
"For years, I've been telling people concerned about their kids and allergies that they ought to get pets out of the house," said Dr. Dennis Ownby, an allergist at the Medical College of Georgia and leader of the research team. "Now I have to retract that and tell them, 'If you're happy with pets in the home, you can continue to have them without feeling guilty.'"
Ownby took the matter a step further. "If you're going to have a pet," he said, "it's probably better to have two rather than one."
Ownby said there's a debate about why early exposure to pets is protective. His group's feeling is that animals may track in irritants from the dirty world outside the home that beef up a child's immune system. The generally increasing cleanliness in developed countries has been blamed for a recent surge in allergies and asthma.
Other Sources
FixedFurLife.com
"Allergies and Your Pet"
JAMA.AMA-assn.org
(American Medical Association)
"Paradoxical Effect of Domestic Animals on Asthma
and Allergic Sensitization"
AnimalRights.net
"Kids with Pets have Fewer Allergies"
YourChildsHealth.com
"Sinus Wars"
HealthyChildcare.org
"Effects of Early Education and Child Care on
Health and Safety"
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