Fido may reduce allergy risk in kids
Posted: Apr 29th 2008 4:00PM by Maggie Vink
Filed under: Healthy Kids

Based on a six-year study of 9,000 children, German researchers have stated that having
dogs may reduce a child's risk of developing allergies. In theory, exposure to pet-related allergens builds ups a child's immunity and helps reduce risk of allergies, asthma, eczema, and hay fever.
The study used parents' answers on detailed surveys from birth to age six. Blood samples were also taken from a number of participants to test for antibodies in the blood stream.
The same protective effect was not noted in children with repeated exposure to dogs, but without dogs in their home.
Tags: allergies, allergy, antibodies, asthma, canine, dog, dogs, eczema, hay fever, HayFever, pet dander, PetDander
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