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Babies Exposed To Cats May Have Higher Risk For Eczema

Animal Radio
Babies exposed to cats may have a higher eczema risk. Children who are exposed to cats soon after birth may have an increased risk of developing eczema according to a study to be published by the American Thoracic Society.

Being exposed to two or more dogs at home suggested a slightly protective, but not significant effect, on the children’s risk of developing eczema. The study included 486 children who had been followed since birth.

The researchers asked the parents how many cats and dogs they had in the house at the time the child was born. They then followed up one year later to see which children had been diagnosed with eczema. Of 134 children with cats in a household, 27.6% had eczema by one year of age, compared to only 17% of children without cats.

Other studies have found that having cats or dogs in a home seems to be protective against allergic diseases. Pets are a source of what is called endotoxins, and if children are exposed to endotoxins early in life, their immune systems may be skewed away from developing an allergic profile. It’s possible that the children in the study who developed eczema at age one, might end up having a reduced risk of asthma or other allergic diseases later in life. Clearly, this is a topic that needs further research. You always hear that, don’t you!