Dogs May Protect Kids From Allergies

[Suki]

Not sure as to the accuracy or validity of this, but found it pretty interesting, non the less...

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(WebMD) Infants who live in a house with multiple dogs may be less likely to develop allergies later in life, according to a new study.

Researchers found that infants who live in a home with two or more dogs and a high level of certain types of a bacterial substance were a third less likely to develop wheezing in the first year of life than those who didn't live with dogs.

Wheezing in infants is associated with a higher risk of developing allergies and asthma later in life.

In the study, researchers looked at the effects of pet ownership on wheezing in more than 500 infants at high risk of developing allergies because at least one parent had them.

The results, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, showed that wheezing was not independently associated with either dog or cat ownership, or a high level of indoor endotoxins.
Endotoxins are natural compounds produced by bacteria. Some believe exposure to these compounds may stimulate the immune system.

However, infants living in a household with two or more dogs and a high level of indoor endotoxins (measured from house dust) were a third less likely to develop wheezing than infants living without dogs.

"Our bodies are programmed to produce allergic responses early in life," says David Bernstein, M.D., professor of immunology at the University of Cincinnati, in a news release. "But there are environmental factors like bacterial endotoxins that may modify the immune system and block development of allergies early in life.

"We do not yet understand how and why exposure to high levels of bacterial endotoxins and multiple dogs in the home exert a protective effect in these high-risk infants from wheezing early in life," says Bernstein.

[ChiaPit]

You know I have ALWAYs had this theory..I think it comes down to when a child is born it carries its mothers immunities to a certain degree, once the child is in a position to develop its own immunities its body will deal with factors that are immediatly present (i.e. dogs, cats, etc) Therefore I think (totally theory) that a baby born into a home with pets is less likely to be allergic to dander.

Then again, I made a D in 7th grade science.

[Attila]

to an extent. I know when I go into a cat owners home I am done with for a week after. I wasn't raised around them in houses. dogs yes cats hell no. They belong in the barn away from me. In other lands people can eat stuff we can't and same here for them. Threshold tollerances being built up. some people can't eat tobasco peppers and habenaro peppers. I eat them daily and with every meal I have at least four of them. My brother can too but he breaks out in a sweat. But he can eat them and does. I have a buddy that I had to take to the ER and his mouth and throght was swelling up bad and cutting off his airway. Serious shit, scared the hell out of me. Thought the poor sob was going to die in my car. That would suck because people piss and shit when they die. mess up my leather. Anyway he was bad off. So I know that there is a physical reaction that can happen to some people and it can be deadly. Like me and bee's. I am allergic to them. Don't know that if I had been raised on a bee farm it would have not been so. Or as bad. Didn't find out till about five years ago. Been stung before but only one or two at a time not dozen or so. I was in shit shape then. But I also know from my studies that there are also variables to those theories. Not all people who are raised around something develop threashold immunities to those things. Even milk with the kid raised on a dairy farm. If he is allergic to cows milk he may just shit himself to death forcing him to keep on. Got to put the little bastard on Goats milk or something. Yuck.

[DryCreek]

I've always believed that if you raise your children in a sterile environment they will be more prone to illness and disease. Grow up in a bubble, you'll need to live in a bubble.
My kids grew up playing in the dirt with spoons and bowls, rolling around in the yard and whatever else they enjoyed. By the end of the day they were horrendously dirty. But thats whats so wonderful about skin, it washes clean.

If we over protect our kids in any way, they will grow up physically and mentally weaker than if we let them live life to the fullest.

Don't run to the doctors every time they have a sniffle, let their body fight it off and build up their immunities. Antibiotics are only necessary when the body is being overwhelmed by an illness. Tough it out if you can, it will be better for them in the long run.

So I can see where kids growing up with animals makes their bodies less susceptible to illness. Makes sense to me.

[Michele]

I have a problem with cats. I can't be around them at all. My eyes get itchy, my head stuffs up and then I start itching.....

[Hoyden]

Ah, a topic we've heatedly discussed many times with other parents we're friends with.

My kids are the ones that are outside and filthly by the end of the day. Our friend, the nurse, has a germ warfare going on and literally chased her kid around with a wash clothe cleaning her up. The Gremlin rarely gets sick and is healthly as a horse, Sarah has way too many allergies and sensativities. The girls are five months apart.


Agree with Atilla on the foods in different places too. I lived overseas for most of my life, when we came back to the US when I was almost 16, I had a hard time with alot of foods and was sick for almost a year. I was so used to foods being fresh, not preserved that all the stuff we preserve foods with made me really sick. It took a while for my system to be able to tolerate it.

The funny thing is the military pediatrician told my Dad, I was just acting out because I was mad about being transfered. When we went to a civilian pediatrician in a neighboring town, he told my dad that he sees this frequently in kids that lived off base overseas, they're used to foods with less preservatives, so they need time to adjust. Sure enough, we followed his advice and I stopped getting sick.


IMHO, Kids now-a-days spend WAY too much time inside and plugged in to something, so they don't get outside to play and get exposed to things in their environment, so they have more allergies.

[Phebes]

We lived in a zoo
my daughters who are 42 and 40 now grew up w/
13 horses plus the boarders horses
at least 3 dogs at any given time
4 to 6 cats
7 ferrets
an albino skunk
2 guinea pigs who lived on the dining room table, cage was removed for holidays
and one 175 lb anglo nubian goat
they have never been allergic to anything
not to mention the wild owl that lived in a huge cage in the rec room until he was well enought to release, thankfully he was only there for 6 months
The more dirt and animals children are around the healther the child

[Suki]

Ah, a topic we've heatedly discussed many times with other parents we're friends with.

My kids are the ones that are outside and filthly by the end of the day. Our friend, the nurse, has a germ warfare going on and literally chased her kid around with a wash clothe cleaning her up. The Gremlin rarely gets sick and is healthly as a horse, Sarah has way too many allergies and sensativities. The girls are five months apart.


Agree with Atilla on the foods in different places too. I lived overseas for most of my life, when we came back to the US when I was almost 16, I had a hard time with alot of foods and was sick for almost a year. I was so used to foods being fresh, not preserved that all the stuff we preserve foods with made me really sick. It took a while for my system to be able to tolerate it.

The funny thing is the military pediatrician told my Dad, I was just acting out because I was mad about being transfered. When we went to a civilian pediatrician in a neighboring town, he told my dad that he sees this frequently in kids that lived off base overseas, they're used to foods with less preservatives, so they need time to adjust. Sure enough, we followed his advice and I stopped getting sick.


IMHO, Kids now-a-days spend WAY too much time inside and plugged in to something, so they don't get outside to play and get exposed to things in their environment, so they have more allergies.
i think so too.
in order to build up and immunity and a tolerance, imo, the best to do that is to be exposed to certain things, so your body can in fact start the whole "process'' if you will.