Dogs: Baby’s Best Friend?

We all know that dogs are man’s best friend but a recent study published this week online and next month in Pediatric medical journal found that your furry friend could be baby’s best friend, too! This study, conducted in Finland on nearly 400 babies, discovered that babies who live with dogs and cats during the first year of their life could be healthier and suffer less ear infections and respiratory infections, like as the common cold. Dog exposure showed the most prominent results, but cats offered some protection as well. "The children having dogs at home were healthier, they had less ear infections and they needed less antibiotics," said Eija Bergroth, the study's lead author and a pediatrician who worked at Kuopio University Hospital, in Finland, at the time of the study.
This study was conducted by having parents complete weekly diaries with full disclosure on their child’s health and detailing the exposure they had with dogs and cats. The study started in the mother’s 3rd trimester and ran until the baby’s first birthday. One set of findings showed those children with dogs registered as being healthy for 73% of the time, compared to 65% of children with no pets or exposure to pets in their home. Overall, babies with cats or dogs are about 30% less likely to have respiratory infection symptoms, such as coughing, breathing problems, runny nose, and fever. They are also 44% less likely to develop ear infections and 29% less likely to require antibiotics.
The reasoning behind these results is that the dirt and germs a dog carries into the home may cause the baby’s immune system to mature more rapidly, which makes it more efficient against fighting off the viruses and bacteria that cause respiratory problems and help keep the child from developing asthma and allergies. The results back up the theory that keeping an infant’s environment overly sanitized is counterproductive to their health. While this is excellent news for homes who own dog and cats, it’s not great news for all – Asthmatic children shouldn’t be in homes with dogs or cats because the dander can negatively affect their condition. The conclusion is that while you shouldn’t purchase a dog expressly to protect your baby from sickness, you don’t need to stress about rehoming your dog or cat based on the fear that they will hurt your newborn.