Pets protecting kids from allergies
Scientists have for years said kids who grow up with dogs and cats are less likely to develop allergies or asthma.
And now, a team of researchers is getting closer to explaining why that is – going beyond the speculation that kids with pets are exposed to more bacteria, viruses and parasites and, therefore, build up immunity.
This is my dog, Nema.
Researchers at the University of Michigan exposed a group of mice to the dust in the home of a dog owner. The researchers then doused those mice, and a group of mice that wasn’t exposed to dog dust, to two asthma-related allergens.
The mice exposed to the dog dust showed much lower inflammation in their airways and produced less mucus than the dust-free mice, according to a “Time” Healthland article.
According to the researchers, the microbes in the dust affected the community of organisms in the mice. The changes influenced the immune response of the mice and their ability to fight off certain allergens, according to the article.
The dust associated with dogs also seemed to prompt an immune response against microbes that have been linked to asthma in kids. The results could lead to future studies on how the bacteria could treat or protect children from allergies and asthma, according to the article.
Marissa Harshman
I'm the health reporter for The Columbian newspaper in Vancouver, Wash. I started at The Columbian -- my hometown newspaper -- in September 2009. Reach me at marissa.harshman@columbian.com or 360-735-4546.