Having A Pet Can Lower Your Baby’s Risk For Allergies
Studies show pets can boost your baby’s immunity.
The benefits of having a pet are endless — even for the smallest members of the family.
Research shows that during a baby’s first year (and even during pregnancy!), being around pets may increase immunity, which can reduce the risk of allergies developing in children.
Isn’t that cool? Researchers call this the “hygiene hypothesis,” which is the theory that the cleaner we live, the more prone we are to asthma and allergies.
We spoke with Dr. Leah Alexander, a pediatrician and consultant for Mom Loves Best, for more insight on the connection between having a pet and your baby’s risk for allergies.
Reasons why pets may lower your baby’s risk for allergies
Environmental allergies are actually pretty common in children, unfortunately (40 percent of children reportedly suffer from allergies in the U.S.).
“Recent research has shown that exposure to animals early in life, including household pets, can have a protective effect against the future development of allergies,” Dr. Alexander told The Dodo.
According to Dr. Alexander, there are a few theories for why this happens:
- Being around pets during infancy primes the intestines with healthy bacterial flora which reduces the sensitization to allergens. This has mostly been seen in infants who aren’t exposed to vaginal flora because of a cesarean section birth.
- It can also promote the development of “immune tolerance” in a dose-dependent way; the number of pets and amount of contact increase the level of protection.
- Some studies show not only a reduction in future allergies but also asthma and atopic dermatitis. However, the time frame is critical — contact should begin prior to their first birthday. After a year, the risk of allergies and asthma increases.
Pets can reduce the risk of eczema, too
Having a pet can actually lower your baby’s risk for all sorts of allergies, like eczema, for example. New research suggests that a dog’s diverse bacteria could help a child’s immune development, and can offer children significant protection against the inflammatory condition, which causes the skin to become itchy, dry and cracked.
Other factors that reduces the risk of allergies in kids
While research confirms that children who are around pets (particularly dogs and cats) in the first year of life may suffer less from allergies, wheezing and asthma, other factors can contribute to a lower risk of allergies, too:
- Interaction with siblings
- Exposure to day care
- Genetics (Children have a one in three chance of developing allergies if just one of their parents has them, and a 70 percent chance if both parents have allergies.)
While researchers aren’t saying that new parents should rush out and adopt a dog or cat, adults with existing pet allergies should take that into consideration, as well as the big responsibility that comes with caring for a pet.
But hey, if you’ve always wanted a pet … maybe now’s the time!
