Cats May Protect Children Against Asthma

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{image- www.boldsky.com} Apart from your love for the animal, here"s another reason that might prompt you to own a cat – a new study has revealed that early life exposure to cats can prevent asthma among children as they reach age five.

The new study from Columbia Centre for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) at Columbia University has found that children with cats in the home were more likely to have made allergy-related antibodies to cats.

At three years of age, children who had made antibodies to cats early in life were more likely to have wheeze, a respiratory symptom associated with asthma. However, by age five, the same children who had grown up with a cat were then found to be less likely to have wheeze.

"While the study design does not allow us to recommend early cat ownership to prevent asthma, it does seem to indicate that avoidance of cats to prevent the development of asthma is not advised," said Matthew Perzanowski, lead researcher and assistant professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health.

However, once a child has asthma and is allergic to cats, the recommendation would still be to find a new home for the cat," he added.

During the study, the researchers controlled for other exposures that might have contributed to developmental problems such as socioeconomic factors and exposure to tobacco smoke and other environmental contaminants.

“Today's findings contribute to a further understanding of how the environment impacts child health," said Dr Rachel Miller, Irving Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Columbia University; director, Asthma Project;

"They help us comprehend the complex relationship between early exposure to cats and the risk for asthma symptoms such as wheeze," said Miller also an associate director and lead physician scientist, DISCOVER Initiative, Mailman School"s CCCEH; and senior author on the study.

“The presence of cats in the home at a very early age seems to help reduce the risk of developing asthma. This is an important finding given the high prevalence of asthma in New York City and elsewhere," she added.

This study is part of a broader multi-year research project started in 1998, which examines the health effects of exposure of pregnant women and babies to indoor and outdoor air pollutants, pesticides, and allergens.

The study is published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.