Growing up with a dog linked to 48 percent lower asthma risk in children

To study this, researchers from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto examined dust samples from 1,050 homes with infants aged three to four months, testing them for allergens.
The medical team monitored the health of these children until they turned five. They then tested the young participants for asthma, assessing their genetic predisposition to develop asthma and impaired lung function.
The analysis revealed striking results. Infants exposed to higher concentrations of the Can f1 allergen, which is released through dogs’ skin and saliva, had a 48 percent lower risk of developing asthma compared with other children.
Additionally, toddlers who grew up with dogs showed improved lung function. This was measured by how much air participants could exhale in one second after taking a deep breath. The protective effect was even stronger among children with a higher genetic risk of impaired lung function.

The researchers did not find this protective effect in children exposed to dust containing cat allergens.
Dr. Jacob McCoy, the study’s lead author, presented the findings at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Amsterdam. He said, “We found that exposure to allergens was associated with improved lung function and a reduced risk of developing asthma.”
He added that asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease in children, with most cases appearing in the first four years of life. “This condition is caused by a complex interaction of genetic factors and environmental influences, such as infections, allergens, and air pollution,” Dr. McCoy explained.
Sarah Sleet, the CEO of the British charity Asthma and Lung UK, commented on the study: “Previously, parents of children who wheezed or were at risk of developing allergic asthma were often advised to remove pets from the home. Meanwhile, this exciting new research suggests that having a dog in the house may actually reduce the likelihood of developing asthma. While we need further studies to understand why this happens, the findings are promising.”
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