A new study has found that children growing up with a pet dog are at lower risk of developing asthma and have higher protection from allergies. Swedish researchers suggest that early exposure to pets could potentially improve the body’s tolerance of allergens and boost the immune system of children.

The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, shows that a child exposed to a dog in the first year of life has a 15 percent lower risk of having asthma in later childhood compared to children without dogs. The findings come from the analysis of the health of 650,000 children.

The researchers have found that children living with a dog were less likely to develop asthma at the age of seven. However, they noted that a child already allergic to dogs is not advised to get a puppy to avoid worsening the condition.

Generally, pets are considered to highly contribute to the development of allergy, according to the Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA). Allergen spreads through the saliva of dogs that causes allergic diseases.

Dogs tend to clean their bodies by licking their fur, which allows their saliva to stick on skin cells and spread when they shed. However, the new study has found that the exposure to dust and dirt, including the loose fur of the animal, may promote tolerance of allergens.

The researchers have also discovered that children living on a farm with various animals can develop a higher protection from allergens. The effect reduces the risk of asthma by around 50 percent.

"Our results confirmed the farming effect and we also saw that children who grew up with dogs had about 15 percent less asthma than children without dogs," said lead researcher Tove Fall, professor at the Uppsala University in Sweden.

The researchers said that the findings could provide some reassurance to parents who are planning a baby. Parents should not be highly alarmed about the negative effects of having a dog in the first year of their children, they added.

However, the team still needs to conduct further studies to fully understand the safety and effectiveness of dogs in reducing the risk of asthma, the BBC quoted Erika Kennington of Asthma UK. Further studies could also help experts to determine if dogs could potentially be used as a practical advice for parents of young children.

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