Ask any obstetrician or pediatrician, they have stories of patients who rehomed their pets, or worse, drove them down to the animal shelter because they were expecting a child or worried that their child would develop allergies to the new family dog.

People have all sorts of excuses: "I'm worried about my baby becoming allergic," or "I'm concerned about Toxoplasmosis," or "Having a pet will increase the likelihood that my child will develop allergies."

In many cases, people looking to shirk their responsibilities towards their pets comes down to one excuse: they're afraid that their cat or dog will increase the risk of allergies.

Pets May Reduce the Risk of Allergies

In a recent article published on Sep. 3 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, infants who lived in a house with a furry pet shared their gut bacteria, a species-specific form of beneficial bacteria in the Bifidobacteria family.

When the infants with pets and a control group of infants without pets were tested at six months of age, none of the babies that tested positive for cow's milk, banana, grass, and dog dander had the bacteria in their system.

This isn't the first study that linked more allergens to less allergies. Earlier studies suggest that when children are exposed to dog dander, they have less reaction to airborne allergens, meaning the kids developed strong lungs after being raised around them.

As scientists continue to try and pinpoint why this is, the "germ theory" suggests that when infants are exposed to bacteria early on, it may boost their immune system and reduce the likelihood of developing allergies.

While we may not be ready to prescribe dogs to pregnant women with a history of allergies, we are moving away from the theory of relinquishing our pets in hopes of preventing allergies. Further, the authors of the study are confident that avoiding dogs and cats does not prevent the onset of allergies.

To learn more about this topic, consult with a trained veterinarian!