Babies with dogs less likely to develop colds, ear infections as infants

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(CBS News) New parents with dogs and cats sometimes consider giving pets away when a baby arrives, but a new study finds keeping the furry family members in tow may boost a child's health benefits.

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A Finnish study finds babies who grow up with pets - especially dogs - are less likely to develop colds and other respiratory infections by the time they're toddlers.

The study, published online July 9 in Pediatrics, tracked 397 kids in Finland from before they were born until they turned 1-year-old. Weekly questionnaires were given to parents that asked about their child's health and whether they owned a pet.

The researchers determined that 245 of the babies had a dog in the home (62 percent) and 136 babies (34 percent) had cat contact. By study's end, 65 percent of children lived in homes without a dog and almost 76 percent lived in a cat-free home, so not everyone with a pet had it throughout the entire study.

While respiratory infections and symptoms such as colds and wheezing are common in infants, an analysis revealed that babies who had early contact with dogs or cats were significantly healthier during the study and were 30 percent less likely to experience coughs, ear infections and symptoms such as stuffiness, runny nose, sneezing and congestion (rhinitis).

Babies born in homes with dogs were also 44 percent less likely to develop another common ailment in kids: ear infections. Kids with dogs were also 29 percent less likely to have used antibiotics in the past year than children without pets. More contact with the dog was associated with fewer health problems in general, which led the researchers to believe that early contact with an animal may mature the immune system in infancy, helping toddlers better ward off disease.

Owning a cat was also tied to protective health benefits, but the effect was much weaker.

"Our findings support the theory that during the first year of life, animal contacts are important, possibly leading to better resistance to infectious respiratory illnesses during childhood," wrote the authors, led by Dr. Eija Bergroth, a pediatrician at Kuopio University Hospital in Finland.

The strongest benefits were seen in children who had a dog inside at home for six hours a day or fewer, rather than at home all day, which might suggest what dogs track in may help boost early immunity.

"It might have something to do with dirt brought inside by the dogs, especially since the strongest protective effect was seen with children living in houses where dogs spent a lot of time outside," Bergroth told WebMD.

Should all prospective parents run out and get a dog?

"I think the development of the immune system is very complicated," Dr. Jennifer Appleyard, chief of allergy and immunology at St. John Hospital and Medical Center, in Detroit, told HealthDay. "Parents shouldn't feel guilty about having or not having a pet when their child is young. If you want a pet, get a pet," she said.

What's more, bringing a pet in the home in the hopes of curing a child with severe or allergies or asthma may not have the intended effect.

"The absolute wrong thing is to put a dog in the house for kids with asthma," Dr. Karen DeMuth, assistant professor of pediatrics at Atlanta's Emory University, told WebMD. "Yes, having a dog in the house early can protect against wheezing or respiratory infections. But this exposure has to happen very early in life."

[goobermom]

well since dogs need to be walked at least twice a day, and it's not wise to leave a baby alone in the house, how many babies were taken outside in prams while the dogs were walked?
Our grandparents firmly believed that daily airings were essential to an infant's health.
Indoor air is full of chemicals & pathogens. Perhaps the only children who get a daily dose of fresh air are the ones whose parents own dogs.

[SparkyP123]

What about eating dogs, preferably Indonesian dogs?

[tmonta67]

All I can tell you is that I had a cat while pregnant with my first, and he developped a violent allergy to cats. No one on either side of our families has a cat allergy, and our subsequent two children do not (we got rid of the cat, who became violent towards the baby and peed all over the house.

We have had dogs ever since, with no problems. But 20 years later you can still smell cat urine in spots on one of the (new at the time) mattresses that no amount of vinegar/miracle cleaners could remove.

[rightofwrong]

Gross, 20 years you have slept in cat ****? Throw out that thing already!

[abby_del_abbey]

Raised with dogs -- happy and healthy.

[JData]

Thank you cbs for providing a direct link to the study. I just skimmed the publication, and they did NOT correct for the size of the yard and other significant socio-economic variables. Shame, because this would not have increased the cost of the study, but would have dramatically improved the ability to assign causality guesses.

[JData]

To make this study significant, surely they corrected for socioeconomic factors. Seems that families with a dog that spends the majority of the time outside probably loads of beneficial factors going there way. There's enough food on the table and they too have a yard to get out and play in. Would be nice if this article had at least mentioned whether the study corrected for these factors.

[Jwjf]

Just about two months ago the University of California released a study showing the small children and the elderly were more likely to have cardiovascular problems later in life if they live with a dog or cat....other studies show cats cause feelings of suicide due to the protozoa that infects them and then human hosts.....living with animals was for cavemen and women, even farmers know animals belong in a barn at the very least if we should not ban domesticated animals altogether for not only health but socio-economic reasons as well.

[bodettes]

My mother told me that in the old country nobody had dogs or cats as pets. They were there for a reason, safety or mice. It's only in the last 50 years that people have brought them into the house and started cuddling them. Pets are dirty and should be labeled "handle at your own risk" I must say that I had 3 dogs in my middle years and I loved them all. They were great company, but also a great responsibility.

[JagerHitsULater]

Also to help build the child's immune system DO NOT VACCINATE.

[Dancing-in-the-Streets]

For kids with asthma, getting a Chihuahua IS worth a try!

Still no explanation why but I've had several people tell me it helped!

[mollydtt]

I don't know why it works, too, but several kids that had asthma when I was a kid outgrew it. Their parents were advised to get chihuahuas, and asthma triggers just seemed to fade away.

[kesac4650]

I just read another "study" that told us that a parasite in cats is a proven cause of suicides.
Some on will always tell you something, on any subject, won't they?