Cat and dog ownership during/after the first year of life and risk for sensitization and reported allergy symptoms at age 13

Abstract

Background Avoidance of pets as a strategy for preventing atopic diseases has been questioned. This study aimed to identify the risk of sensitization and allergic symptoms at age 13 in relation to dog‐ and cat‐keeping during and after the first year of life. Methods The study included all children born at Östersund Hospital in Northern Sweden between February 1996 and January 1997 (n = 1231). At inclusion, parents were asked to answer questionnaires about lifestyle, including cat‐ and dog‐keeping. Dog allergy, cat allergy, hay fever, and asthma were diagnosed based on parental reported allergic symptoms at 13 years of age (n = 834). The risks of sensitization or allergy in relation to dog‐ and cat‐keeping during and after the first year of life were analyzed with logistic regression. To adjust for reverse causation, all subjects that had reported avoidance of pets due to allergic symptoms of the child or allergy in the family (n = 177) were excluded. Results Dog‐ or cat‐keeping during the first year of life reduced the risk of sensitization to dog or cat allergens, respectively, and to birch and to at least one of the 10 allergens tested. Cat‐keeping, both during and after the first year of life, reduced the risk of cat allergy and hay fever. Having a dog at home during the first year of life reduced the risk of dog and cat allergy, whereas dog‐keeping after the first year of life did not affect allergic symptoms. Conclusions Cat ownership, either during or after the first year of life, may be a strategy for preventing the development of cat allergy and hay fever later in life. Dog ownership reduced the risk of sensitization to dog and birch allergen, and also the risk of cat and dog allergy, but had no effect on hay fever.

S3 Guideline Allergy Prevention

“…Various epidemiological studies showed that having a dog in the household during the first years or the first 3 years of a child’s life has a primary protective effect with regard to the development of food allergies [ 164 ], airborne allergies, and bronchial asthma at school age (6 – 13 years) [ 165 , 166 , 167 , 168 , 169 ]. A Swedish birth cohort study [ 169 ] found no protective association of dogs in the household during the 1 st year of life and allergic rhinitis at the age of 13 years. With regard to keeping cats or other typical pets, there are still conflicting data.…”

“…With regard to keeping cats or other typical pets, there are still conflicting data. In the Swedish BAS cohort, keeping cats in the 1 st year of life turned out to be protective with regard to the development of allergic rhinitis at 13 years of age, but these data are based on parent questionnaire and not on a physician’s diagnosis [ 169 ]. In a large Dutch study, no association was found between pet exposure in childhood and bronchial asthma at 17 years of age [ 170 ].…”

Associations of maternal and infant metabolomes with immune maturation and allergy development at 12 months in the Swedish NICE-cohort

“…Heredity is an important risk factor for the development of allergy 18 , 19 , while environmental factors such as older siblings 20 , 21 , growing up in a farming environment 22 , 23 and pet ownership 19 , 24 have been shown to be protective. According to the hygiene hypothesis 21 , exposure to microorganisms in early life stimulates the immune system in a manner that facilitates the development of tolerance to harmless foreign proteins 21 .…”

“…Many diet-associated compounds rapidly appear in circulation after absorption in the intestine 28 , 29 . Epidemiological studies suggest maternal asthma to have a stronger influence on childhood asthma than paternal 19 , 30 , 31 , indicating that not only genetics are involved, but also other interactions in the mother–child interface, possibly including imprinting of the fetal immune system by metabolites in the maternal circulation. As several factors seem to relate to a maternal influence on the childs’ future allergies, we hypothesize that some of the risk of developing future allergic diseases could be associated with metabolites transferred from the mother to the child.…”

A Cross-Sectional Study of Knowledge on Ownership, Zoonoses and Practices among Pet Owners in Northern Portugal

“…Indeed, several studies have reported cardiovascular benefits [ 46 ], especially in the elderly hypertensive and diabetic population [ 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 ]. Pet ownership during pregnancy, in the first year of life, and during childhood seem to prevent the development of food allergies [ 52 ] and reduce the risk of wheezing (associated with cat ownership) [ 15 ], atopic asthma, and aeroallergen sensitization (grass, house dust mite, cat and dog allergens) [ 14 , 53 , 54 , 55 ]. Dogs also increase opportunities for recreational walking, thereby reducing the risk of obesity [ 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 ].…”