Dog ownership could reduce allergies in children

New studies show that owning a dog could help to reduce allergies in children, but owning a cat could make them worse.

Researchers from the University of Cincinnnati have found that having a dog in the house seem to have a "immunotherapy" benefit and could reduce other allergies by as much as four times. However, if an allergic child owned a pet cat , then their sensitivity in reaction would dramatically increase.

The study, which examined the relationship between pet ownership and eczema was published in The Journal of Paediatrics.

The new study carried out by a team led by Dr Tolly Epstein examined the effects of environmental particulates on childhood respiratory health and allergy development. They gathered data from 636 children, who were considered to be at high risk of developing allergies because they were born to parents with allergies. The children were tested on a yearly basis from the ages of one to four for 17 different allergies.

Results of the research showed that children with dog allergies were less likely to develop eczema by the age of four if they owned a pet dog . However, if a children with dog allergies did not have a dog in the house, then they were 4 times more likely to develop eczema.

Dr Epstein also says "Children who owned a cat before age one year and were allergic to cats based on a skin allergy test were 13 times more likely to develop eczema by age 4 years".

However, if the child didn’t have any allergies then they would not have an increased risk for eczema if they owned a cat.

In light of the findings, Dr Epstein suggests that parents with children at risk of developing eczema may want to consider the results when choosing a family pet .