Cats and cat allergies

Pediatrics for Parents, April, 2004

Children allergic to cats are told to avoid felines or suffer the consequences--sneezing, runny eyes, and itching. But does exposing young children to cats influence the chances the children will develop allergies later?

Beginning in 1982, researchers in Australia followed 224 children, looking at their exposure to cats at home. For 20 years, the children were regularly tested for cat allergies. Fifty of the children had cats when they were under 18 years old, 14 after age 18, and 70 in both periods.

Those who acquired cats after age 18 were more likely to be allergic to them than those who were exposed to cats as youngsters. This study adds support to the "hygiene hypothesis"--early exposure to microbes and potential allergens lessens the chances of developing allergies later in life.

Cleanliness may be next to godliness, but too much cleanliness may result in more allergies.