Dogs May Help Guard Against Childhood Eczema

By Ellin Holohan for Businessweek.com

THURSDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) — Man’s best friend protects against eczema in young children, but his nemesis, the cat, does not, new research shows.

Children with a dog in the home at age 1 had a significantly reduced risk of eczema at age 4, but children who had a cat were more likely to have the ailment at the same age, the study found. Dog ownership also conferred protection against becoming allergic to cats.

“It’s speculative, but possible that the protective effect is due to a sort of natural immunotherapy where children who are exposed to dogs become tolerant over time in the same way that people on allergy shots develop tolerance to allergens,” said study author Dr. Tolly Epstein, an assistant professor in the division of immunology, allergy and rheumatology at the University of Cincinnati Medical School.

Or, dog allergens may have other effects on the immune system that are not yet understood, she added.

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