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What if having a dog could protect children from the appearance of eczema? This is the question asked by American researchers from the Henry Ford Health establishment in Detroit, Michigan, and there seems to be a “protective effect” for the animal against this dermatological disease.
Having a dog at home has several obvious advantages, but here is one that few people suspect: it would reduce the risk of eczema in children. In any case, this is the conclusion of a study carried out by American scientists and published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
The influence of the presence or not of a dog at home
The authors of this work studied 789 children under the age of two whose parents owned a dog. In particular, they observed whether the parents kept a dog inside their home, during pregnancy or the first year of the child’s life.
Doctors meanwhile checked the children for eczema when they were 2 and 10 years old, to assess the condition over time. All the children studied were then divided into four groups, depending on whether or not the disease appeared and the age of the child at the time:
- Children who have never had eczema;
- Children who had eczema at two years old, cured at 10 years old;
- Children who had it at age two and persisted;
- Children who developed it after the age of 10.
The presence of a dog stimulates the immune system of children
The mothers were interviewed before delivery and at the end of the study to determine if their children had been exposed to dogs during their pregnancy and in their first year. Just over a quarter of pregnant women (26%) kept their dog indoors.
The results of this study show that children whose mothers had a dog during their pregnancy and during their first year had a significantly lower risk of developing the disease by the age of two. “Our data suggest that prenatal and early dog exposure has a significant protective effect on the development of eczema at or before two years of age.” note the authors.
They believe that keeping pets could influence the microbial composition of the infant’s gut. This exposure to bacteria in the first few months after birth could then help a child develop a healthy immune system, potentially reducing inflammatory conditions like eczema.
No effect at older ages
“Clinically, our results suggest that prenatal dog exposure may protect against early eczema“Estimates the group of researchers. An effect which is however not observed in older children or in people suffering from persistent eczema.
Dr. Amy Eapen, an allergy expert who led the study, points out that “the results suggest that the first year of life is ‘potentially the critical window’ for preventing eczema”.
However, the scientists admit that they cannot prove that exposure to a dog caused the “protection”, as the study was purely observational.