How can pets affect a child’s risk of developing allergies?

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine said that infants raised in homes with two or more cats and dogs developed allergies at roughly half the rate as children in pet-free homes. Moreover, they were less allergic not just to dogs and cats but to pollens and other common allergens as well. Other studies have supported those findings, but others have not.

Having dogs and cats around during the first year of life may help kids dodge disease. Research has shown that children growing up in households with two or more pets were 50% less likely to react to allergens in the future compared with children growing up without pets. These allergens included not only cat and dog dander but also molds, grasses, and other common allergens.

Take the RealAge Test!