Cat and dog ownership during/after the first year of life and risk for sensitization and reported allergy symptoms at age 13.

Chaifa Al‐Tamprouri,Hesselmar Bill,Barman Malin,Bråbäck Lennart,Sandin Anna

doi:10.1002/iid3.267

Chaifa Al‐Tamprouri, Hesselmar Bill + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.1002/iid3.267

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Abstract

BackgroundAvoidance of pets as a strategy for preventing atopic diseases has been questioned. This study aimed to identify the risk of sensitization and allergic symptoms at age 13 in relation to dog‐ and cat‐keeping during and after the first year of life.MethodsThe study included all children born at Östersund Hospital in Northern Sweden between February 1996 and January 1997 (n = 1231). At inclusion, parents were asked to answer questionnaires about lifestyle, including cat‐ and dog‐keeping. Dog allergy, cat allergy, hay fever, and asthma were diagnosed based on parental reported allergic symptoms at 13 years of age (n = 834). The risks of sensitization or allergy in relation to dog‐ and cat‐keeping during and after the first year of life were analyzed with logistic regression. To adjust for reverse causation, all subjects that had reported avoidance of pets due to allergic symptoms of the child or allergy in the family (n = 177) were excluded.ResultsDog‐ or cat‐keeping during the first year of life reduced the risk of sensitization to dog or cat allergens, respectively, and to birch and to at least one of the 10 allergens tested. Cat‐keeping, both during and after the first year of life, reduced the risk of cat allergy and hay fever. Having a dog at home during the first year of life reduced the risk of dog and cat allergy, whereas dog‐keeping after the first year of life did not affect allergic symptoms.ConclusionsCat ownership, either during or after the first year of life, may be a strategy for preventing the development of cat allergy and hay fever later in life. Dog ownership reduced the risk of sensitization to dog and birch allergen, and also the risk of cat and dog allergy, but had no effect on hay fever.

Highlights

Allergic diseases have increased drastically in Western countries during the past decades
One possible explanation for this is provided by the hygiene hypothesis, which states that a reduced exposure to microorganisms early in life might increase the risk of developing allergic diseases.[1,2,3]
Dog‐keeping during the first year of life reduced the risk of sensitization to dog allergen, adj. odds ratio (OR) 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.18 (0.08‐0.44), birch allergen

Summary

| INTRODUCTION

Allergic diseases have increased drastically in Western countries during the past decades. One possible explanation for this is provided by the hygiene hypothesis, which states that a reduced exposure to microorganisms early in life might increase the risk of developing allergic diseases.[1,2,3] In line with this hypothesis, studies have shown that children living on livestock farms have a lower prevalence of asthma,[4] rhinoconjunctivitis, and sensitization[5,6] than other children from the same area. By having access to a prospective birth cohort, we were able to study the relationship between dog‐ and cat‐ keeping during and after the first year of life and the development of sensitization and allergic symptoms at 13 years of age. The aim of this study was to quantify and analyze the risk of sensitization, allergy, and allergic respiratory symptoms at age 13 in relation to dog‐ and cat‐keeping during the first year of life as well as after the first year of life. Children were instructed to avoid antihistamines for 72 hours before the test

| Study design

| RESULTS

Findings

| DISCUSSION