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Dogs may curb asthma in kids: Study

Provided by: QMI
Written by: QMI Agency
Jun. 21, 2012

A Spain supporter holds her dog before watching the Group C Euro 2012 soccer match between Croatia and Spain on a giant screen at a fan park in Malaga, southern Spain June 18, 2012. (REUTERS/Jon Nazca)

Dogs may cause some to cough and sneeze, however a new study says pets may actually help curb allergies and asthma.

Researchers from the University of California - San Francisco and University of Michigan - Ann Arbor say children who grow up with dogs may be less likely to get respiratory infections and asthma later on.

In an experiment, mice were divided into three groups. The first group of mice were fed the dust from homes with pets and then infected with respiratory syncytial virus, a common childhood pathogen that can make kids more prone to asthma. The second group was infected with the virus, and the third group wasn't infected with the virus.

Mice fed the dust (from homes with dogs and/or cats allowed outside and inside the home) didn't have symptoms of the infection, including swelling and mucus.

The researchers believe early exposure to allergens helps the immune system mature faster to protect against allergies and asthma.

The findings were presented Tuesday at a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Francisco, Calif.

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