Study: Children who have a dog or cat around in their first year have fewer health problems

Children who are born to a family with furry pets seem more able to ward off certain illnesses.

A recent study out of Finland finds babies who have a cat or dog around during their first year have fewer health problems than little ones who don't have pets.

The study, published in next month's issue of Pediatrics, followed 397 children from before birth to age 1, and noted the number of times they had contact with either a dog or cat each week.

Although it's a pretty common thing to see newborns with minor respiratory issues and ear infections, researchers found those babies who had more interaction with animals seemed to have fewer of these problems and needed less medication, even when they were sick.


Read more: http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/health/study-children-who-have-a-dog-or-cat-around-in-their-first-year-have-fewer-health-problems#ixzz208cL5lVY