It might seem totally against conventional wisdom, but there is research to indicate that if you want to protect your children against allergy, the best thing to do is get them a pet in the first year of life. Read the full study here. Yes, you can prevent pet allergy by getting your newborn a pet.
That’s right, get a pet in the first year of life to prevent pet allergy!
The Journal of Clinical Allergy and Immunology reports a study that showed that the risk for developing allergies decreased when a dog was in the home during the first year of life. The study took place in Wisconsin and covered a representative demographic of the community. The allergies studied were not just environmental allergy but food allergy as well. Odd as it may seem, Ubu prevents food allergy in addition to pet allergy. Sit Ubu Sit! Good Dog!
However, the window of opportunity was small. The dog had to present from birth and the first year of life.
So, don’t let fear of allergies keep you from having a pet and a newborn. Of course, use common sense. Don’t leave the baby unattended with a pet and you certainly don’t want the pet licking all over the baby. That’s just ewwww. Also, supervise baby when it interacts with the pet. No one likes having their tail or fur pulled.
If you are past that one year window and still want a dog, we suggest washing the dog at least monthly in the Pet Plus Shampoo.
If you get a cat, rub it weekly with the Allerpet/C solution to gently denature the allergens and remove any loose fur. If you didn’t catch my blogpost with the pictures of the cat after the Allerpet, see it here. That Allerpet was one shiny cat.
The Allergy Store