Dogs help with kids allergies!!!
Well, just in case you needed another reason to bring a dog into the family, here it is. Having a dog in the house while your children are young and their immune system is developing could help prevent the development of asthma, eczema, and hay fever. In today’s day and age, when many children seem plagued by these conditions, simply bringing a dog into the lives and homes of these children could be a major help.
According to German researchers who released this report several weeks ago, the theory is that growing up with a pet, helps to train the immune system to be less sensitive to the many germs carried into the home on the fur of the dog. The early exposure to these germs helps the child build up strength or immunity to these germs. As a result they are less likely to be victim of the allergens that could lead to the allergic reactions mentioned above.
The findings mentioned above are based on a 6 year study of over 9000 children. With children who had contact with dogs, but did not have dogs in their household, the same effects were not seen. Many of these children developed allergies later on that the children who lived with a dog did not. The results of this study had been stated before, but the results were based on questions asked after the fact, rather than while the study was being conducted. In this study, conducted in Germany, parents were asked detailed questions about their children from birth through the age of 6, which focused on allergy related symptoms. Blood samples were also taken from a third of the group to test for antibodies to common allergens. This helped the scientists track those developing the antibodies and comparing that fact with whether or not the child was in a home where a dog lived there consistently or the child was merely exposed to dogs periodically.
So go get the puppy from the shelter that you have been waiting for and know that your child and the puppy will grow up happy and healthy together.
May 13th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Thanks so much for the mention!