Some Benefits of Pets for Children with Asthma
You will do anything to protect your child's breathing health, but "throwing away" pets from home can be a difficult decision. Dogs and cats are a common trigger of allergies and asthma in children, so many young parents who choose to avoid risk. But fortunately, you do not have to do it. Researchers show that pets can benefit your child. In fact, a pet can play an important role in preventing asthma in children.
Pets and asthma
In recent years, the awareness that growing children close to dogs and cats is less likely to have asthma than with children who do not have pets. But where the benefits come from is still not known clearly. Scientists from the University of California have found the answer. Dust from a house that has a dog has a different structure with dust from a house without pets.
Pets can prevent asthma relapse
The researchers also found that this type of dust protects against childhood diseases, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). This is important because experiencing severe cases of RSV as a baby may increase the likelihood of children experiencing asthma. By preventing RSV, the risk of developing asthma is reduced.
Research on household dust and asthma
The scientists conducted experiments on 3 groups of mice. The first group is fed dust from a house that has a dog, then exposed to RSV germs. The second group was exposed to RSV without household dust, and the third group was the control group.
Groups of mice fed dust appear to have no symptoms of RSV, such as increased mucus production, and airway inflammation as occurs in the second group. The first group also has a different bacterial content in the gastrointestinal tract that gives the immune system the ability to prevent RSV germs. According to scientists, dust from the house with a dog has a unique microbe that gives that defense. The findings are presented at the General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in June 2012.
The researchers plan to investigate more about the role of microbes in preventing and treating asthma. They hope that this information can help understand how asthma prevention in children on a larger scale.
What does that mean to you
If you do not have a dog, consider adopting it. Check with pediatricians for recommendations on the type suitable for children, as new family members as well as providers of respiratory protection.
Remember that some children are allergic to animals and cannot have pets. So, always look at the symptoms in children and make sure to make decisions based on what is best for specific conditions.
