Living with dogs 'reduces risk of asthma in children'

Be exposed to a dog in the first year of life is linked to a drop of 13% in the risk of developing asthma during childhood

Small children have a pet dog at home are less likely to develop asthma, according to a large Swedish study.

Be exposed to a dog in the first year of life is linked to a drop of 13% in the risk of developing asthma during childhood. The survey gathered data from 650,000 children to reach that conclusion.

The study was published in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics. It is based on the idea that pets can help the immune system and prevent allergies.

But is still a need for further research because the older studies that were analyzed show conflicting results.

Also, buy a dog for a child who is allergic to dogs is not a good idea, the researchers said.

The man's best friend?
Animals are a common cause of allergy. Half of the children who have asthma are allergic to cats and 40% in dogs, according to the NGO Allergy UK.

The animals lick to clean. During this process, covered skin cells saliva, dander and the loose are eliminated. Some people end up developing this allergy to animal dander.

But the findings of this latest study suggest that exposure to dander in childhood may be beneficial.

Children who grew up with a dog at home were less likely to have asthma at age seven than children who did not have this contact.

Living on a farm in contact with many animals seems to give even more protection, reducing the risk of asthma by 50%.

"Our results confirmed the 'farm effect' and also seen that children who grew up with dogs were 15% less asthma than children without dogs," said the scientist Tove Fall, of Uppsala University in Sweden.

Fall said that these results are in accordance with the hygiene hypothesis, according to which exposure to dust and dirt improves our tolerance to allergens.

"This information is important for parents who are expecting a baby or planning to have one. They do not need to worry about having a dog if they want."

"But if you have a child who is already allergic, you should not get a dog to try to cure his son. That will not work and will likely aggravate allergy".

If you live with animals, there are some things you can do to reduce the risk of an allergic reaction, according to Asthma UK:

Try to keep pets out of your bedroom and, where possible, also in rest areas;

Regular baths in cats and dogs can help;

You can try using air filters and an efficient vacuum cleaner. This can be helpful for people with allergies to cats, but there is no clear evidence that really brings benefits.

No breed of dog is proof of allergies because they all loose dandruff. "Some studies have talked about it, but not a longitudinal study with so many children. From this point of view this is a powerful study. It is very welcome," he said Amena Warner of Allergy UK.

But the organization says more must be done research in the area so it really turns into practical advice for parents of young children.