Did you want a kitten or a little dog and your parents did not allow you? You may have a weaker immune system. Many research say that growing with dogcats, rabbits, parrots and other pets at home could “train” the immune system. Among the benefits of having a hairy friend alongside, there would be to make us stronger towards infections and less inclined to develop allergies of various types, including food. In essence, our immune system grown with one or more pets would be better to recognize harmless allergens and stronger in fighting i pathogens, even if we have not yet understood how. Even if it is Difficult to establish a clear cause-effect bondit seems that growing with animals at home can still be an important cofactor in the development of our immune system. However, he must give be careful who is already prepared Because it has parents who have suffered from asthma or allergies with family: in that case, an animal at home could have the opposite effect.
The link between pets and risk of infections
Those who grew up with pets would be less inclined to infections, as shown by numerous studies from all parts of the world (find the sources at the bottom of the article). Researchers from Norway found that children raised with pets ran a minor risk of developing atopic dermatitis (a chronic inflammatory skin disease). A study comes from Finland, published in the magazine Pediatricsin which it was found that children raised in the rural areas of the country and more in contact with animals from the first days of life, have been less subject to infections, Especially the respiratory ones, and have had to make less use of antibiotics.
Attention: this does not mean demonizing antibiotics, which allow us to fight otherwise highly dangerous infections, but to say “They made less use of antibiotics“, It means that in this specific study the children raised with animals are sick less or in a less serious way, which did not require the use of these drugs.
Grow with animals reduces allergies
Growing with a dog or cat, first of all makes stronger against the Specific allergies to these animalsbut it seems that it is also a shield for the development of other allergies. One of the most accurate studies on the topic was published in 2002 on the prestigious Jama magazine (Journal of the American Medical Association). The researchers followed children from birth to 2 years, taking into consideration many variables (Parents who smoke, family anamnesis, social class, month of birth). Measuring the concentration of immunoglobulins and (IGE, the most related to allergies) and other parameters of lung function, have confirmed that Living with animals reduces IgE awarenessTherefore reduces the risk of allergiesboth in the case of external allergens such as i pollen What interiors, such as mites of the dust and hair of dogs and cats.
A study conducted in Japan in 2023, focused on food allergies: he involved Over 65 000 childrenfollowed by the first months of pregnancy of mothers, up to 3 years and divided according to exposure or not to animals and based on the exposure period: during gestation, during childhood or in both periods. For exposurewe mean that they lived a close contact With animals, children are not enough for children to meet a dog at the park a couple of times to consider them “exposed”.
22% of children were exposed to pets and among them the percentage of those that developed food allergies was significantly lower Compared to children who had not lived with any four -legged friend. Moreover, those exposed both during gestation and in the first years of lifewere the least subject to developing food allergies.
In particular, it seems that those who had lived with a dog were less likely to develop allergies a eggmilk and walnuts; those surrounded by cats, they had significantly less likely to develop egg allergies, wheat and soy.
How our hairy friends interact with the immune system
It is thought that the presence of animals in the house can change the parental microbiota And therefore also that of the fetus and then of the newborn, also influencing the immune system and other factors, such as the onset of atopic dermatitis. Just the latter is often a factor predisposing for food allergies: Since living with pets has been related to a reduction of this inflammatory skin disease, it would consequently also reduce the risk of allergies.
Some bring up the hypothesis of hygiene, a much discussed theory since the 1980s, according to which excessive hygiene and therefore less contact with pathogens would lead to developing multiple pathologies. In reality, to date this theory it was not confirmed And it is still very debated with its supporters and detractors: it is therefore It is difficult to establish its real value.
The limits of studies
The benefits of growing with animals would be only for children born in families who they don’t have stories of allergieslung problems or asthma: if mom or dad had asthma as children, having a cat or dog in the house may not be a good idea, indeed could aggravate the situation.
Beyond the study published in Jama which includes numerous variables, uses instrumental techniques and covers a wide range of social classes, to be honest, these studies have some limits. First of all they are often conducted in rural or suburban areas: Therefore, it is not known what the effect of living with animals in city areas may be, in contact with another series of factors and pollutants.
Secondly, they are often based on questionnaires completed by the parents or information communicated to the doctors, even if, especially for the Japanese study, the families were interviewed every 6 months, with rigor and continuity And therefore we could consider the data quite reliable.
Finally, as the studies themselves indicate, Often other variables are not taken into consideration Which can affect the development of the immune system, such as family hygienic-sanitary habits, local pollution and many others. If it is then Difficult to establish a clear cause-effect linkhowever, these studies provide an indication that growing with animals can contribute to our immune health.
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