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Summary An early exposure to pets won't increase a child's risk of developing an allergy.
Early exposure to pets lowers allergy risks A new study revealed that an early exposure to pets wont increase a childs risk of developing an allergy to cats and dogs, and may actually protect against such allergies.Living with a dog before age 1 year was associated with about half the risk of developing a dog allergy in boys. Exposure to cats before turning 1 was associated with about a 48 percent reduction in risk for girls and boys. For those who are allergic to animals, symptoms can range from watery eyes, a runny nose and sneezing to a full-blown asthma attack. Experts havent been sure if early exposure to animals might contribute to the development of those allergies.Some experts think that early exposure could trigger the development of allergies, while others suspect that early exposure could increase the immune systems exposure to a diverse array of bacteria. Exposure to animals at other times in childhood didnt appear to be as significant as the first year.
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