Nursery World - Dogs boost babies' immunity

Children growing up in homes that have dogs as pets experience fewer respiratory infections and are healthier, according to a new study.

Researchers from Kuopio University Hospital in Finland followed 397 children born in Finland between September 2002 and May 2005.

They recorded the number of respiratory symptoms and infections the children suffered from birth onwards, along with information about dog and cat contact during their first year of life.

Of the 397 children, 245 had dogs and 136 children had cats at home.

The findings revealed that the children who had had contact with dogs or cats were significantly healthier and were less likely to experience respiratory illness such as coughing or rhinitis. This was more prevalent in children who in particular had contact with dogs.

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