Doggy dirt is good for you--as long as you're exposed to it early

German scientists have found that early exposure to dogs can reduce the risk of children becoming allergic in later life.

After studying 9000 children over a six-year period, researchers came to the conclusion that growing up with a pet in the household trains the immune system to be less sensitive to triggers for allergy-related conditions such as hay fever and asthma.

The findings support the common belief that modern life is too ‘hygienic’, so babies’ immune systems are not introduced to enough germs to develop normally. Dogs, the study suggests, provide enough dirt of the 'right kind', although it may be important that the baby meets the dog early enough to affect the immune system as it develops.

Joachim Heinrich, of the National Research Centre for Environmental Health in Munich, said: "Our results show the presence of a dog in the home during subjects' infancy is associated with a significantly low level of sensitisation to pollens and inhaled allergens.''

Dr Heinrich and his fellow researchers say the blood of children raised in homes with dogs contained fewer markers for allergy, such as antibodies to pollen, dustmites, cat and dog dander, and mould spores. Their findings have been published in the European Respitory Journal.

Source: Nigel Hawkes, The Australian, April 2008