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Do animals on the farm and in the home reduce the risk of pediatric atopy?

Do animals on the farm and in the home reduce the risk of pediatric atopy? Recent evidence suggests that proximity to pets and farm animals early in life may decrease the risk of developing atopy. Studies investigating the etiology of atopy and asthma have been especially challenging due to difficulties in ascertaining and classifying incident cases. Nevertheless, cross-sectional and cohort studies described in this paper reported across various populations, among children and adults, tended to demonstrate inverse associations between the presence of indoor cats and dogs or frequent exposure to livestock during the first years of life and sensitization to pet and pollen allergens, hay fever, and to a lesser degree, asthma. The biological mechanisms of this protection is unknown, as are the factors associated with pet keeping and livestock farming that may play a role. In the meantime, it appears that counseling prospective parents that avoidance of exposure to animals in the first years of life will prevent atopy may not be sage advice. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology Wolters Kluwer Health

Do animals on the farm and in the home reduce the risk of pediatric atopy?

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Copyright
Copyright © 2002 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without either the prior written permission of the Publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying issued in the UK by the Copyright Licensing Authority and in the USA by the Copyright Clearance Center. Applications for permission should be addressed to the International Rights Department, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 227 East Washington Square, Philadelphia, PA 19106-380, USA, or faxed to (+1) 215 238 4419. 1528-4050/02.
ISSN
1528-4050
eISSN
1473-6322

Abstract

Recent evidence suggests that proximity to pets and farm animals early in life may decrease the risk of developing atopy. Studies investigating the etiology of atopy and asthma have been especially challenging due to difficulties in ascertaining and classifying incident cases. Nevertheless, cross-sectional and cohort studies described in this paper reported across various populations, among children and adults, tended to demonstrate inverse associations between the presence of indoor cats and dogs or frequent exposure to livestock during the first years of life and sensitization to pet and pollen allergens, hay fever, and to a lesser degree, asthma. The biological mechanisms of this protection is unknown, as are the factors associated with pet keeping and livestock farming that may play a role. In the meantime, it appears that counseling prospective parents that avoidance of exposure to animals in the first years of life will prevent atopy may not be sage advice.

Journal

Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical ImmunologyWolters Kluwer Health

Published: Apr 1, 2002

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