One of the best things to do as a family is to get a family pet – in particular, a dog. Not only does he become an adored member of the family, he would also end up protecting kids from allergies and obesity, says new research.
A University of Alberta study shows that babies from families with pets, 70% of which were dogs, displayed higher levels of two types of microbes associated with lower risks of allergic disease and obesity. The theory is that exposure to dirt and bacteria early in life, for example, in a dog’s fur and on its paws, can create early immunity.
The latest findings from the researchers, on fecal samples collected from infants registered in the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development study, builds on two decades of research, which shows that children who grow up with dogs have lower rates of asthma.
The team of 12 researchers, including study author Anita Kozyrskyj, a pediatric epidemiologist, and co-author, post-doctoral fellow Hein Min Tun, have taken the science one step closer to understanding the connection by identifying that exposure to pets in the womb, or up to three months after birth, increases the abundance of two bacteria, Ruminococcus and Oscillospira, which have been linked with reduced childhood allergies and obesity, respectively.
“The abundance of these two bacteria were increased twofold when there was a pet in the house,” says Kozyrskyj, adding that the pet exposure was shown to affect the gut microbiome indirectly, from dog to mother to unborn baby, during pregnancy as well as during the first three months of the baby’s life. In other words, even if the dog had been given away for adoption just before the woman gave birth, the healthy microbiome exchange could still take place.
The study also showed that the immunity-boosting exchange occurred even in three birth scenarios known for reducing immunity: C-section versus vaginal delivery, antibiotics during birth, and lack of breastfeeding.
What’s more, the study suggests that the presence of pets in the house reduces the likelihood of the transmission of vaginal GBS (group B Strep) during birth, which causes pneumonia in newborns and is prevented by giving mothers antibiotics during delivery.
Though it’s far too early to predict how this finding will play out in the future, says Kozyrskyj, “It’s not far-fetched that the pharmaceutical industry will try to create a supplement of these microbiomes, much like was done with probiotics.”