Longer Indoor Contact Reduces Incidence Rate
"Exposure to Microbes Boosts Immunity"
A study has found that children raised in homes with dogs or cats have a lower incidence of food allergies compared to those who are not.
On the 29th (local time), according to foreign media including the New York Post, a research team led by Hisao Okabe from Fukushima Medical University conducted a study on 66,215 children in Japan, tracking exposure to pets from the fetal stage to early infancy, and investigated the incidence of food allergies in children under three years old. The paper was published in the American scientific journal PLOS One.
Lower likelihood of allergy occurrence when living with dogs or cats
As a result, children who grew up indoors with dogs had a lower likelihood of developing allergies to eggs, milk, and nuts. Children who grew up indoors with cats had relatively lower rates of allergies to eggs, wheat, and soy.
Children who raised pets indoors had lower allergy incidence rates compared to those who had pets outdoors.
Children who lived with pets both during the fetal stage and early infancy showed lower food allergy rates than those who lived with pets during only one of these periods.
Additionally, other pets such as turtles or birds, rather than dogs or cats, did not significantly reduce the incidence of food allergies.
However, exposure to hamsters was associated with an increased incidence of nut allergies.
Furthermore, allergies to fish, fruits, and buckwheat noodles were found to have no significant correlation with pet exposure.
Exposure to microbes while living with pets... 'Vaccination effect'
The research team explained that keeping pets indoors acts like administering a vaccine to the child's digestive tract, thereby enhancing immunity.
Dr. Okabe stated, "Living with pets enriches certain gut microbes and increases the diversity of intestinal bacteria, which may reduce the incidence of allergic diseases."
This can be interpreted as supporting the "hygiene hypothesis," which suggests that being too clean can actually increase susceptibility to diseases.
The incidence of food allergies is rising in developed countries where contact with microbes is reduced due to disinfectants and other conveniences.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 5% of American children suffer from food allergies. In severe cases, it can cause life-threatening systemic shock reactions.
Meanwhile, Dr. Okabe's study has limitations as it only targeted Japanese individuals and was based on parental interviews rather than allergy tests.
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