In this prospective study, dog contact was more protective than cat contact, but the results leave the question unresolved.
Upper respiratory tract infections are common during the first year of life, and numerous studies have identified factors that either increase (e.g., day care attendance) or decrease (e.g., breast-feeding) risk. The role of animal exposure in early respiratory tract infections is less certain. In this study, researchers examined the effect of dog and cat contact on respiratory symptoms in a prospective birth cohort of 397 children in Finland.
The children were followed for 1 year, and parents completed weekly diary questionnaires about symptoms, antibiotic use, and amount of contact with dogs or cats at home. In univariate analysis of 17,124 diary weeks, children who were exposed to dogs or cats at home had significantly fewer weeks with cou…