Early exposure to dogs, farm animals associated with lower asthma risk

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-11/tjnj-eet102915.php

Public Release: 2-Nov-2015
Early exposure to dogs, farm animals associated with lower asthma risk
The JAMA Network Journals

A reduced risk for childhood asthma at the age of six was associated with exposure to dogs or farm animals during a child's first year of life, according to an article published online by JAMA Pediatrics.

Childhood asthma is a global health concern. A number of environmental factors have been associated with either increased or decreased risk of asthma.

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Dog exposure during the first year of life was associated with a 13 percent decreased risk of asthma in school-age children. Farm animal exposure was associated with a 52 percent reduced risk of asthma in school-aged children and 31 percent reduced risk in preschool-age children respectively, the results indicate.

The authors note their results were independent of parental asthma or whether the child was first-born. Some study limitations were mentioned.

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