Pet-keeping in early life reduces the risk of allergy in a dose-dependent fashion.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Several studies have indicated that early pet keeping could protect the infant from later allergy development. Here, we investigate if there is a dose-dependent association between cat- and dog-keeping during the first year of life and subsequent allergy development.

Methods

Two cohorts were investigated: a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study of 7- to 8-year-old children (N = 1029) from Mölndal and Kiruna, and a birth-cohort of children from the Västra Götaland county clinically evaluated for asthma and allergy by paediatricians up to the age of 8-9 years (N = 249). The cross-sectional study asked validated questions on asthma and allergy that had been used in two previous studies of children from the same areas. In the birth-cohort study, a diagnosis of ast

SUBMITTER: Hesselmar B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6300190 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature