Game companion dog reduces allergy risk
Children who grow up with dogs, have a reduced risk of allergy. This was confirmed by researchers at a longitudinal study of ten years with almost 10,000 children surveyed and examined. The exact causes, the international team of scientists to Joachim Heinrich, Helmholtz Centre Munich but still not explain it.
Dogs bring more dirt into the house, said Heinrich. It would increasingly components of bacteria, so-called endotoxins in the flats. You can contact with mucous membranes to fever. But we have found that endotoxins, for the protective effect of the dogs responsible attitude so far has been made for protection from an allergy to dogs attitude is not an issue, said Heinrich.
Henry speculates that many other factors such as the use of dogs outdoors, hundefreundliche living environments or other previously unknown germs of the dog to these effects could contribute. A final explanation why the dogs keeping the child’s immune system against specific allergies train, remains open.
We have a very strong effect on keeping dogs for a protective function against allergies detected, Heinrich. Parents with a dog should therefore have no worries because of an allergy feared higher risk of their children. On the other hand it is clear from the study is no reason a dog attitude to prevent allergies to recommend, as long as the causes of the protective effect dogs were not known. The results of the longitudinal study in the latest edition of the European Respiratory Journal (Vol. 31, No. 5).
Only in March, scientists Allergy families Bremer warned to keep dogs. In such families is growing for the newborn child is a risk of disease from asthma, atopic dermatitis or hay fever by 40%, said Hermann Pohlabeln by the Bremen Institute for Prevention Research and Social Medicine. For the other families valley a dog, however, the allergy risk. The team had mothers shortly after birth and two years later questioned.