Less Exposure to Pets, Dust May Not Cut Allergies

[Guest guest]

Hey Butch

 

You know the worst thing about raising kids? You think you're doing the

right thing then it turns out you're not.

 

Just when you think you have it right, another theory gets blown out of the

water and yesterday's expert advice is rendered inaccurate:-(

 

I'm glad that's one problem I don't have to contend with:-) Bad enough

looking after the dog who thinks she's a kid LOL.

 

Vicki

 

> Less Exposure to Pets, Dust May Not Cut Allergies

>

> By Alison McCook

>

> NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Kids who spend less time during their early

> years around pets and dust don't appear to have a lower risk of

> developing asthma or respiratory problems, new research reports.

[Guest guest]

Less Exposure to Pets, Dust May Not Cut Allergies

 

By Alison McCook

 

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Kids who spend less time during their early

years around pets and dust don't appear to have a lower risk of

developing asthma or respiratory problems, new research reports.

 

These findings contradict a long-held theory that protecting children

from substances that can trigger allergies or asthma -- known as

allergens -- may protect them from respiratory problems later in life.

 

Study author Dr. Paul Cullinan of the National Heart and Lung Institute

in London explained that, consequently, parents who want to protect

their children from developing allergies or asthma " should not worry too

much about allergen levels in their home. "

 

The reason the researcher and his colleagues may have failed to find an

effect of early exposures on allergy risk could be because the

relationship between the two is not " straightforward, " Cullinan said.

 

For the study, the team followed 625 children from birth, and tested the

levels of the dust mites -- the tiny critters that dwell in house dust

and are a common trigger of allergic reactions -- and cat dander in

their living rooms when they were only 8 weeks old.

 

The researchers then interviewed mothers once per year and asked if

their children had had any trouble breathing during the past year, and

tested children at age 5-1/2 to determine if they had any sensitivity to

dust mites or cat dander. An individual's sensitivity is gauged using a

skin prick test with the specific allergen and noting any reaction.

 

Reporting in the journal Thorax, the investigators found that one in 10

children were sensitive to dust mites or cat fur, and one in 14 had

experienced wheezing.

 

The researchers found that the risk of becoming allergic or asthmatic

increased with exposure to very low levels of allergens during their

first years of life. That risk flattened out with higher exposures, the

authors note.

 

The increase in risk with little allergen exposure was primarily seen in

first-born children and those with a family history of allergies.

 

These findings " make it improbable that reductions in domestic allergen

exposures alone will have a major impact in reducing the incidence of

these diseases in childhood, " the Cullinan's team writes.

 

In an accompanying editorial, Dr. A Custovic of Wythenshawe Hospital in

Manchester, UK and colleague say that the body of evidence surrounding

early exposures and allergy risks " appears inconsistent and often

confusing. "

 

Collectively, these studies demonstrate that one single recommendation

-- such as, shield your children from allergens -- will likely not

succeed on a wide scale, they note.

 

" We need to move away from the concept of blanket advice aimed at the

whole population to tailor-made individualized measures targeting

individuals with specific susceptibilities who will benefit from a

particular intervention, " they note.

 

SOURCE: Thorax, October 2004.