Our pets could be reducing our chances of developing allergies

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-11-28 06:00

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Swedish researchers investigating the poo of newborns suggest growing up with pets or on a farm could have a mild protective effect against developing allergies. The small study of 65 kids measured the ratios of bacteria groups in their poo at different intervals between three days and 18 months of age, and then followed up with them at three and eight years to check whether they had developed any allergies. They ended up finding the kids who had pets or lived on farms could have developed good gut bugs earlier, and this could potentially have been the reason why they were less likely to develop allergies when compared to their pet/farmless peers.