Cats have been blamed for all sorts of maladies. Here's one case where they may deserve it.
Infants who come home to a house with cats are nearly twice as likely to develop eczema as those who live in a cat-free environment. Twenty-eight percent of the 134 infants living in a home with cats had eczema by age one year compared to 18% of the 286 infants who homes had no cats.
According to Esmeralda Morales, MD, the lead researcher, the results were a surprise. They had expected to find that early pet exposure would lessen the risk of wheezing, asthma, and eczema.
Dogs may be a better pet for infants. Those living with indoor dogs were half as likely to wheeze or have allergic rhinits (runny nose due to alleriges) than children who lived with no dogs. Dog ownership had no effect on the rate of eczema.
Family Practice News, 8/15/06
May not be reproduced in any format without written permission.
