Can pet ownership boost childrens health?
A study by researchers at Warwick University in Coventry has found that children living in households that own a pet cat or dog in their early lives are exposed to more infections than those without pets. It is this exposure that appears to have boosted their immune system in the medium term.This is also reflected in further research that illustrated that pet owning children were found to have an extra nine days at school over the course of the year compared to those without animals. Which has consequently suggested that pet ownership was significantly associated with better school attendance rates.
According to the researchers, the findings appear to support the so-called "dirty hypothesis" proposing that too much cleanliness early in life can leave the immune system weakened later on.
However, Dr McNicholas warned that pets can also pose health risks to children. For example one of the biggest risks is the roundworm Toxicara Canis which infects dogs and can cause anything from stomach ache to eye damage.
Nevertheless, overall the Warwick University study found that antibody levels among pet owning children were significantly more stable, indicating that they appear to have a more robust immune system in comparison to children that do not have a pet.