The faithful companion of man not only brings joy in a family, but can also be beneficial for the health of the smallest of the house . A new study carried out by the Karolinska Institute and the University of Uppsala (Sweden) suggests that early exposure to dogs and farm animals reduces the risk of asthma in children. The study has been published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics .
The problem of childhood asthma has not stopped increasing its numbers in the last 30 years. Previous studies had already shown that growing up on a farm cut asthma risk in half. To delve into the association between living with animals and the incidence of asthma, the researchers examined data from more than 1 million children born between 2001-2010 , reviewing information on asthma diagnosis and the presence of dogs and farm animals. in families. Data analysis revealed that 5% of children in the preschool age group suffered an asthma event before completing the study ; In the group of school-age children, 4.2% had an asthma attack during the seventh year of life.
The results showed that children who grew up with a dog during their first year of life had a 13% lower risk of asthma at school age. Additionally, farm animal exposure was linked to a 52% lower risk of asthma in school-age children and a 31% reduction in risk in preschool-age children.
Exposure to “ large numbers and great diversity of microorganisms and endotoxins has the potential to influence the risk of asthma , as well as infectious diseases in general. This is the first time that we can provide evidence of a lower risk of childhood asthma in 6-year-old children exposed to dogs and farm animals. This information can be useful in making decisions for families and physicians about the convenience and timeliness of exposure to an animal from birth “, explains Tove Fall, leader of the study.
