Having Pets Around Infants
Many parents believe that having a pet around the house can negatively affect an infant’s health. Dogs and cats can carry ticks and fleas from outdoors or different diseases. On the other hand, studies have shown that having a pet around an infant can have a highly positive effect on a baby’s health.
Studies conducted by researchers at the University of Alberta found that having a pet around an infant increases the amount of two different gut bacteria and improves the immune system. The bacteria that were significantly increased when exposed to a pet were Ruminococcus and Oscillospira which are beneficial to the gut. These bacteria were found in children who had been exposed to dogs while they were still developing in the womb and after birth.
Ruminococcus is found in the intestines and is an anaerobic bacteria that aid in the digestion of resistant starches such as beans and lentils. It has been proven beneficial to the human gut because it can help lower the risk of diabetes. Studies done with Ruminococcus have also shown that the microbe can also lower the risk of allergies developing.
Oscillospira is found in the large intestines of humans and is also a beneficial bacteria that aids in the digestion of complex carbohydrates. Studies similar to those done with Ruminococcus showed that the microbe Oscillospira can reduce the risk of obesity occurring later in life.
By exposing a child to a dog early in life, there is an increase in a diverse amount of microbes. These strengthen the immune system and help to build it up to prevent disease and fight foreign bacteria.
Anita Kozyrskyj, one of the world’s top researchers on gut microbes, is also a pediatric epidemiologist at the University of Alberta. She found, through research, that asthma affects children who grow up with dogs less than those who do not.
There are also many researchers in Sweden studying the effects that animals have on babies. They found that asthma has become a growing concern and that 9.3% of children in the United States have asthma. In addition to that, they found that children who grew up on a farm had half the risk of asthma developing than those who did not. They concluded that children who had a dog in the house reduced the risk of asthma by 13%. Meanwhile, children who grew up with many farm animals present had a reduced risk of asthma by 52%.
Asthma affects the airway to the lungs and prevents sufficient airflow to them. Because of this, children with asthma tend to avoid physical activity which could be one reason for obesity occurring.
In the future, scientists are optimistic about a ‘dog in a pill’. Because these studies show that dogs have a significantly beneficial impact on the health of a child, scientist are looking into developing a pill that could replace them. It would be a way for people to be able to increase the amount of beneficial microbes, such as Ruminococcus and Oscillospira, in the gut. By inventing a pill, people would be able to create the same effects as having a dog present without one even being around. For parents who are allergic to dogs, this would pose as an option for them to benefit the health of their child.
On the contrary, different problems could occur from this method. For example, changing the composition and balance of microbes in the gut could cause significant effects. Dysbiosis occurs when the balance of microbacteria within the body is disrupted and can cause a variety of diseases or health problems, such as; cancer, obesity and strep throat. When people try to disrupt their body’s natural environment, they can do more harm than good. Even though people might have good intentions, there is always the possibility of the body rejecting the new microbes or causing problems.
In conclusion, having a dog around an infant significantly reduces the risk of asthma and raising a child around farm animals further reduces the risk. Dogs increase the diversity of microbes present in the gut which is beneficial to the child’s health. Ruminococcus and Oscillospira were the two bacteria that were significantly increased and proven to be linked with a decreased risk of asthma developing. Therefore, when children grow up with pets, they not only have a great companion, they are improving their health.
References
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