Cats Increase Risk For
Eczema While Dogs Lower Chance - Babies and Children Exposed To Felines
May Develop Atopic Dermatitis
May 22nd 2006
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Researchers from the University of Arizona say that children exposed to
cats soon after birth have an increased risk of developing eczema. Dogs
on the other hand, had a protective effect. According to Eczema.net,
eczema is a general term encompassing various inflamed skin conditions.
One of the most common forms of eczema is atopic dermatitis. The
condition is sometime called "atopic eczema".
The study which was presented at the American Thoracic Society
International Conference on May 21st, involved 486 children
who were followed since birth. The researchers asked the parents how
many dogs and cats were in the house at the time of birth. They then
came back a year later to determine which children developed eczema.
They found that of the 134 children with cats in the house, 27.6 percent
developed eczema. Of the 286 children without cats, only 17.8 percent
developed eczema.
Interestingly, of the children who developed eczema, the condition was
worse for those whose mother did not have eczema. Previous studies have
found that people with eczema have a higher chance of also having
allergic conditions including hay fever and asthma.
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The lead researcher was doctor Esmeralda Morales, M.D. who is Pediatric
Pulmonary Fellow at the University of Arizona in Tucson. She said
"Other studies have found that having cats or dogs at home seems to be
protective against allergic diseases, so we expected to have similar
findings. Pets are a source of a compound called endotoxin, and if a
child is exposed to endotoxin early in life, the immune system may be
skewed away from developing an allergic profile."
It could be that the children in the study who developed eczema at age 1
might end up having a reduced risk of asthma or other allergic diseases
later in life, Dr. Morales noted. "The findings do seem to add more
questions about pets and asthma and allergies," she said. "Since there
are a lot of contradictory data out there already, clearly it's a topic
that needs further research."
Approximately 10 percent to 20 percent of the world population is
affected by this chronic, relapsing, and very itchy rash at some point
during childhood. Fortunately, many children with eczema find that the
disease clears and often disappears with age.
Dan Wilson
Best Syndication
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