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A recent article published by a German research institute lays claims to the theory that growing up with a pet can train the immune system to be less sensitive to certain triggers for allergies like asthma, eczema and hay fever.
“Our results show clearly that the presence of a dog in the home during subjects’ infancy is associated with a significantly low level of sensitization to pollens and inhaled allergens,” said Joachim Heinrich of the National Research Centre for Environmental Health in Munich.
This idea has been talked about for years. I know that when I was growing up, my father would tell me that doing yard work would help me get over my allergies… and who was I to disagree. Although looking back at it, once the work was done and I walked inside with a runny nose and my eyes swollen shut - I certainly didn’t feel as If I’d conquered my allergies. Hmm…
You can read more about the study here.
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Wow, I thought it was the opposite. I assumed that having pets would cause young children to develop allergies. I guess it makes sense that if they are around the pet when they are young- they’ll be less likely to be allergic to them as they grow older. Excellent info!
Most children who have pets feel that the ‘dirty work’ is not their department. That is the job for long-suffering parents or even servants. Inevitably, the purchase of a pet is followed by endless shouting matches and confrontations between parents and children on the issue of pet care. Most parents wonder how to make their children feel responsible for what they proudly call ‘their’ pets.