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Subscribe to RSSA new study that followed nearly 400 children suggests having a pet at home could help kids stay healthier. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
By Susan E. Matthews
MyHealthNewsDaily
Kids who grow up with cats or dogs tend to get fewer respiratory infections during their first year of life, according to a new study from Finland.
Researchers followed 397 children from pregnancy through their first year of life, and found that those living with dogs developed 31 percent fewer respiratory tract symptoms or infections, 44 percent fewer ear infections and received 29 percent fewer antibiotic prescriptions.
Contact with cats was also linked with fewer infections, but the effect was not as drastic as contact with dogs — for example, infants living with cats were 2 percent less likely to need antibiotics.
"We speculated that maybe the dogs somehow can bring dirt or soil inside the house, and then the immune system is strengthened, or maybe it’s something about the animals themselves," said study researcher Dr. Eija Bergroth, a pediatrician at the Kuopio University Hospital in Finland.
The link between pets and fewer infections held even when researchers took into account factors known to affect infants' infection rates, such as breast-feeding and number of siblings. Still, the researchers acknowledged that couldn't account for all such factors, and noted that they found a correlation, not a cause-and-effect relationship.
Of the children in the study, 35 percent lived in homes with dogs, and 24 percent lived in homes with cats, though the researchers also accounted for pet contact outside the home.
"According to our results, there’s no reason to be afraid of animal contact, or to avoid them," Bergroth said. While many people preparing to have a child attempt to create an extremely hygienic environment, Bergroth said, the results show this may not be the best choice, because the immune system is not challenged.
The new findings are "incredibly novel," said Dr. Roya Samuels, a pediatrician at Cohen Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y., who was not involved with the study.
The research builds on the "hygiene hypothesis," a widely accepted theory that posits that children exposed to too-clean environments are more likely to develop allergies and asthma. The findings imply that the benefits of living in an environment that is more challenging to the immune system extend to lower rates of infectious diseases as well, Samuels said, which had not been previously shown.
"We associate exposure to dog and cat dander with lower allergy and asthma rates. But this paper is saying that, for reasons unknown, there is a protective mechanism at work lowering rates of infectious diseases," Samuels said.
However, exactly how this protection might work isn't clear, she said. While the researchers speculated that dirt in the home was behind the link, Samuels said there may be more to the story. Future studies to confirm the findings should further investigate the mechanisms at work, she said.
Bergroth said she hopes the research will stop people from thinking that if "they’re having children, they should get rid of animals."
Bergroth emphasized that the children studied lived in rural or suburban areas, so the study results may not translate to urban children. But she also said that urban pets may not track in the same dirt.
Karen Rowan contributed reporting to this story.
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Mothers take note
You would think such intelligent researchers would also recognize that having a dog means the children probably spend time outside playing with the dog and walking the dog thereby exposing themselves to more allegens and getting more exercise than sitting inside staring at a T.V. or computer. It's not what the dog brings inside as much as getting the children outside.
Researchers followed 397 children from pregnancy through their first year of life
Yes those 6 months olds are really taking the dog out for a walk.
Get rid of all the antibiotic soaps, cleaners and wipes as well. It's nothing more than a marketing scam a just makes your kid weaker.
So true! I've used homeopathic medicine for 20 years - no antibiotics!
Finally a study I like. However for those who choose to get a dog or a cat for their child please remember it is a committment for the lifetime of that dog or cat's. They must become family - not a back yard dog. For me dogs were the greastest thing my parents ever gave to me.
It's nice to see that they controlled for things "such as breast-feeding and number of sibling". Did they control for the allergy status of the parents or the general cleanliness of the houses? If so, then the result is interesting. If not, its pretty useless.
True. The allergies and the other variables make a big difference, and on the cleanliness I would say if the pets aren't cleaned up after (as in lots of hair and feces, urine, etc.) the kids aren't going to be healthy either.
Oh, here we go again. You don't get a pet to just keep your kids from having respiratory infections. They are living creatures and you get them if you want to commit the time, effort, and money into caring for a dog or cat for many years. You get them IF your family doesn't have allergies to them, and you get them if you live in a safe place for them to have room to enjoy life.
This isn't saying there is a cause and effect situation anyway. I had cats and dogs growing up and have asthma and horrible allergies. We had a cat indoors when my twins were little and one was okay but the other has awful allergies and serious food allergies. She couldn't be around where the cat had been from the time she was born, or she would be itching, congested, crying, and sneezing with red, itchy eyes. She would break out if she just got near where he laid before. I am allergic to cats and dogs and so is my husband, who grew up with no pets. The other twin is fine as long as she washes her hands. My grown son is allergic, but he denies it and has pets...lol. I'm happy his aren't as bad as ours and that he can have the pets he enjoys. And yes, I understand that studies don't mean every single case is the same.
Sure, if you don't have allergies and can care for a pet, sure, get one if you like and don't freak out over germs. But don't get one just to keep your kids healthy. There is more to this story than just having a dog or cat that keeps you healthy or not, and PLEASE fix your pet if you love him or her. People who love their pets don't let them have litter after litter or go around fighting over females.
I'm not going to bother copy pasting my response from the other thread.
Why people continue to release this garbage as news is beyond me.
I think the emotional impact of loving an animal and receiving unconditional love from your pet is itself very healing!
Thanks mom! Six kids and always numerous dogs and cats(among other critters). Mom always let us keep whatever stray we dragged home. Instilled a love for animals and now find was also good for our health. All in our fifties now and no one suffers from breathing/asthma issues. Keep in mind, Mom wasn't the best in housekeeping also (sorry mom) but with also an outside job that was understandable. Had her hands full!
Yes, I used to bring home strays, too. That's cool you got to keep them, Lauren, and nice you are all healthy. I wish I could say my situation turned out that way, but I am happy to read yours did:)
...I have noticed that the most severely allergic amongst my friends and family had the most neat-freak, uber-clean moms..... I have maintained for years that an immune system with nothing to do, finds something to do....
Growing up, my mother never was one for having pets. Carpet, furniture, and the usual down-sides to owning a pet was her defense. When I was about 14 years of age, my father brought home a Doberman pup. Well, he was 75% Doberman and 25% something else. Anyhoo…..my mother put up her usual defense, but for some reason, she let us keep him.
What started as a pet, soon turned into a member of the family. Growing up next to my high school (within walking distance), that dog was at the door of the school I left from every day, tail wagging and a big smile on his face, eager to walk me home. He would “trick” you in to thinking he needed out, only to steal your seat when you got up to let him out. He would sit in the furniture, front feet in the floor, and watch TV as a human would. If one of us boys was ever sad or pouting from being punished for one of many reasons, this dog would come up and hug you, putting his paws on your shoulder, not to leave until he got a smile out of you. Lol….he would even trot along the fire trucks in our little small town parades.
I remember when he was hit by a car once. It was on a Sunday and we had a hell of a time finding a vet that would see him. We finally found one. The vet commented that hit would have killed most dogs. He said he must be loved and knows it. That’s why he’s still around.
The years went by and it was time for me to leave the nest. My biggest hesitation was I knew I was going to miss that dog. Only moving 10 min. away, I still found reasons to visit all the time. Truth be known, I wanted to see the dog.
About 3 years later, I got the call from my father that Buford had passed. He might as well told me one of my brothers had passed. I cried for 3 days. I can’t imagine my childhood without that dog. Running along our bikes as we tore ass all over town. Going fishing with us. He seems like he was there all the time.
That was a long time ago and I’m much older now. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t think of him. I still miss by Buford (boo dog). I still love him.
Fricsaid, you made me cry, especially since I know many times over the pain of losing a furry member of the family. Nice story. I wish every kid could grow up with pets, especially dogs. Not only for physical health reasons, but for mental well-being, too.
Fricsaid,
Thank you for sharing that part of your life. I smiled between the tears. Buford sounds like he was a wonderful dog who had a great family. :)
Yep, dogs are so much more than just physical health. People have been keeping them for many, many years. It is no wonder that they are also beneficial to humans both physically and mentally.
Maybe the kids will like a squirrel pet. They run around a lot and are cute!
squirrels are evil. very, very evil.
I had a pet squirrel, but unless you don't mind being clawed and full of bleeding scars all over the place, they don't make good pets. They will also ruin your paintings and curtains.
Yes, squirrels are evil. I tried to give a piece of toast to one outside my aunt's back door once. Instead of taking the bread, the little bastard sank his teeth into my finger and held on. Bled for quite a while after I finally shook him off. Good thing squirrels aren't disease carriers.
Every Pet Deserves A Home. NOT EVERY HOME DESERVES A PET !!
That's just what the shelters need - More pets being turned in because Mom got little Johnny a pet to "potentially" help with his future respiratory issues. NOW, little Johnny is bored with Fido and Mommy doesn't want to deal with the pet hair, barking, poop pickups, and behaviour issues (due to lack of training by said Mommy and Johnny) that go along with pet ownership and - so to the shelter the poor dog goes.
I had dogs growing up and I still have allergies - in fact, I am allergic to dogs. So much for THAT theory!
However, I have 2 shedding dogs now in spite of my allergies, but they are family and I have them because I love them and I enjoy spending time with them- not because I am hoping for an allergy cure.
I don't think the article is encouraging people to get a pet to avoid respiratory problems; I think they want to reassure new parents that they don't have to get rid of a pet (or avoid getting one if they want one) to keep their kids healthy. Big difference. Also, you had dogs growing up, but there's a window of time when a child is very young and the immune system is still maturing - up to about age two - so if your dog exposure came after this window, it may have been too late. As for the hygiene hypothesis - I compare the immune system to muscle: you have to challenge both to make them strong. Keeping a spotless home to protect your child's immunity is like tying them to a chair to develop their muscles. Doesn't work.
400 kids in the study seems too small. I read over the actual study results. The purpose of the study was to make a connection between dogs in the house and healthier kids. This was conducted by subjects filling in a weekly survey. People that did not send in the survey for at least half the weeks were excluded. I question this method as the people filling in the surveys may know the purpose of the study and the dog owners may be more inclined to report healthier kids. Dog owners may also be less sensitive to their child's normal maladies and may not report them.
I think the study is worthless on its own. Some person in Finland wants to prove that dogs in the home are healthy and they succeeded in getting enough surveys back to make an argument. There are so many other conclusions that could have been drawn from this. I just don't understand why a worthless study is published under the headline "For Healthier Kids..." I want healthier kids, but I will not base my decision to surround them with dogs on this insignificant study.
no one would make a purpose of a study "to make a connection between dog ownership and healthier kids"
they might have said kids health.
totally different.
This is from the study:
I have the perfect solution. How about a cat or dog INSTEAD of kids!
certainly MY preference...
just about as expensive though. i have relatives that have had their dogs hip joints replaced...
I remember hearing a joke once during a stand-up routine: You may love Fluffy and Fluffy may be the best cat ever, but Fluffy's not getting a new liver. You can get a new Fluffy for free from the pound.
AG99: but they can and have transplanted a new kidneys into cats....
A lot of the posts above this one raise very good points to consider. But I believe we can jump too quickly into making assumptions that aren't necessarily correct. The premise of the study was found to have a correlation, not a direct cause-and-effect.
The results of the study are not perfect, but they do certainly lend thought to the concept that we ought to live in CLEAN environments, but not necessarily STERILE. It is extremely important to expose young bodies to numerous microbes in order to mature the immune system. How long have we casually known that kids who grow up on farms have less episodes of sickness as adults? Doesn't this study venture into the same thing?
Besides, research is finding that the human body can harbor over 10,000 different microbes at any time. And this is for HEALTHY people. Every human hosts trillions of bacterial cells in their body, enough to actually outnumber the human cells in which they live, and make up nearly 3% of one's body weight in bacteria alone!
The "germ theory" that science has espoused for generations is slowly becoming unraveled as new research begins to understand the connection between our humanity and the natural environment better. Go let your kids play in the dirt from head to toe, then spray 'em off with the hose before they come inside again! They'll have a blast, and grow their immune systems while at it!
Since the "health effect" was greatest with dogs, perhaps it has something to do with how a dog in the family changes children's activity? Perhaps just getting the kids outside exposed to the environment and sunshine would be just as effective as having a dog? Vitamin D is associated with a stronger immune system.
Even if the "health effect" could be duplicated in other ways, a good dog is a joy to have. (Expensive, but a real joy.)
I am 53 years old and have always thought that my good health and lack of allergies was directly attributable to how dirty I was as a kid. We had numerous cats, dogs, chickens, sheep, horses while I was growing up.
My parents were not sticklers about sanitizing everything we were around. In fact, one of my fondest memories was when we would go camping, and dirt or ash from the campfire would get in our food, my dad would say "just eat it, a little dirt never hurt anyone!".
I really believe that exposure to dirt, germs, pets etc, teaches your body to be more tolerant of those things, and makes your immune system stronger.
I think the ubiquitous use of sanitizer's everywhere is actually making younger people more susceptible to infections!
I agree, Truffy. We're the same age and although I only had cats growing up, friends of mine all had dogs and horses so I was exposed to lots of animals. The hyper cleanliness of today is a bit over the top, I think.
I am much more likely to use sanitizer (or have my kids use it) before/after a trip to a crowded public place than in the great outdoors. My two year old sticking his hands in his mouth after touching the shopping cart is a concern- germs from people and uncooked food. If I catch him trying to eat dirt, I just encourage him to spit it out.
I do discourage my boys from sticking their hands in the dog's mouth- for the dog's sake.
I do discourage my boys from sticking their hands in the dog's mouth- for the dog's sake.
Hehe. I see your point. :) I also see your point about the shopping carts. When I think about some other people out there touching them I get a little skeeved out.
This doesn't have much to do with pets but lots with hand sanitizers and things kids do to get germs. I took my daughter with me one busy evening to the deli to pick up some fried chicken (if you live in MN or WI get your fried chicken at Cub, it's awesome and half as much as any fast food place). Anyway, my daughter was probably 4 and was looking at the food in the glass deli case. It was winter and the deli case was warm so she was leaning against it as I placed my order. Imagine my horror when I looked down to see that my daughter was LICKING the glass deli case!!!!
There is no germ she can get from the dog that is worse than what could have been on the outside of that deli case class.
Redhead Ranting, you are absolutely right! Cub has the best fried chicken I've ever had from a deli. I lived in Madison for several years and we were saddened when they closed the East side store. I agree with you, I don't think dog germs could be any worse than what was on the deli case! ;)
I swear at least half of my diet as a kid was dirt and I grew up with no alergies, no breathing problems, no health issues what so ever. My cousins on the other hand had a mother obscessed with cleanliness, and those kids all have various health problems now. That difference between us didn't escape me as a kid and it never has since.
I'm reminded of a young woman I used to work with - she had two kids with asthma, and was obsessive about keeping her house clean to the point where it probably would have passed FDA inspection for a drug filling suite. The sicker her kids got, the more Lysol she used. I don't think she ever saw the connection...
We've always been a two-cat, one large dog household and I wouldn't have it any other way. All of them get along great when they're raised together and they bring so much joy, happiness, and love into our lives. Health issues aside, our kids, my husband, and I are all better people because of our pets. They've taught us all many things and love us unconditionally as we love them. Going home to the three of them every day is sheer joy.
We just got a puppy last week and this is something I have always believed. It could be that dogs just allow the kids to get exposed to more, the kids are outside more or maybe the unconditional love that a dog provides strengthens kids immune systems. I don't know, but even on the worst days a puppy makes everything better (dogs too).
so true. My mother wouldn't let us have one. Said we wouldn't clean up after a dog or cat...that was her excuse. She just didn't want to make the effort
there wasn't enough love in our household growing up, it would have made a difference
that said I was lucky to grow up in the era where in suburbia kids ran free and so did dogs. we were in and out of neighbors backyards and basements. The two dogs of neighbors were like one of the kids and constant companions and friends
when Toby had a stroke i was 13 or 14 and the neighbors called me over to see if I knew what was rong I didn't back then. Later that day they put him down.
felt like I lost a friend
This is a very stupid article.
The researchers found a correlation and didn't make any statement about cause and effect. In short, correlation is not causation, and whomever wrote the title, however, doesn't grasp this distinction. The study DID NOT suggest to get a cat or a dog, period.
The statement that "those living with dogs developed 31 percent fewer respiratory tract symptoms or infections ... " does not mean that owning a dog actually caused that. It's just a correlation (a frequently occurring coincidence). in fact, a more plausible explanation works the other way around.... people who can own dogs are more likely to live in suburban or rural areas, where there is less pollution, lower population density, more room to run around, etc.
Does anybody know what kind of dog is in that photo?
Looks like a Labrador to me....
Looks exactly like my daughter's dog-he is a Lab/Retriever mix
Obama: A doggie steak a day keeps the doctor away.
The other study links cats with women suicide rate. So, you can pick to get less sickness and suicide or get more sickness but won't suicide?
Yes! Finally proof as to why we should FINALLY get a pet :)
Yes! Finally proof as to why we should FINALLY get a pet :)
When our sons came home from the hospital as newborns, we put them on the floor to meet our beloved Airedale, MacTavish. Mac was huge Airedale, almost 100 lbs. He was only 1 year old when our first son was born. Our pediatrician told us that the baby would catch less (germs) from the dog than he would people and encouraged us to 'introduce' baby and dog as soon as we got home. Mac soon became our son's guardian and playmate. Mac chose to sleep under the crib at night and woke us every time the baby cried. Two years later son #2 came home and we did the same introduction. Once again, Mac slept under the crib. Both boys learned how to walk holding onto Mac's fur. Mac would walk very, very slowly so the boys wouldn't fall. When they did fall, Mac would lick them until they giggled. He alternated sleeping with the boys on their beds until he died.
When the boys were 3 and 5 and playing in our backyard, a man climbed over the fence (gates were locked) and proceeded to go towards the boys. He never saw Mac sleeping on the patio. Mac caught sight of the strange man around 'his' boys and bounded off of the patio and chased the man over the 6' fence and had the seat of the guys pants in his mouth (with blood on it) to prove it. I caught site of all this through the bedroom window and by the time I got outside, the man was gone, Mac was comforting the boys and Mac later had a big t-bone for dinner. (Man was later arrested when he went to emergency room, needed 40 stitches in his butt and when confronted he said he was at our house to look for odd jobs. He was a convicted child molester)
Mac died when boys were 10 and 12. Both were heart broken to lose their best friend and playmate. Boys are now out of college and speak often of 'Mackie.' Mac not only kept my boys healthy, he kept them safe. We've had many dogs since Mac, but Mac grew up with my boys and will always have a special place in all our hearts.
... Or may be households with dogs or cats tend to wash their hands more often...??? (eww. dog licked the baby's hand! let's wipe that off...)
that would simply account for fewer infections in the household...
No. I don't think so. Some believe that saliva from dogs and cats may have antiseptic healing properties. This is why you will often find animals licking their wounds and then seeing those wounds heal more quickly than humans. Cats will also clean themselves with their tongues, which not only removes dirt and tangles from their fur, but also leaves them smelling clean. A dog licking a baby's hand is far less to worry about than what the baby will pick up crawling on the floor you've walked on with your shoes that have been outside. Imagine all the things you step in that you're not aware of and then bring into your house.
And a cat licking your face does wonders, as a natural remover of the top layer of skin, cleaning the old top layer of dead cells & exposing fresher skin underneath.
How about to have healthier kids, they go outside and PLAY kick the can, tag, 4 square, etc. like we used to!!! Every night after supper, outside we would go.
Yes me too. Now if I could only do it at my current age.
Make sure you adopt the dog (or cat) from a shelter or rescue group. Also, make sure you have time to take excellent care of the dog because if you don't give him attention, exercise, and love----he'll become neurotic and won't be so great for your family after all!
Has anyone brought up Genetics??? Many of the people who don't have a pet probably don't have one because they are allergic, hence the children would already be predisposed to being allergic as well. This study is dumb.