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AAP News Vol. 15 No. 8 August 1999, p. 2 © 1999 American Academy of Pediatrics
Children exposed to pets during the first year of life had a lower frequency of allergic rhinitis and asthma when they reached school age compared to children who had no pets, according to a Swedish study. Researchers asked 402 parents of 7- to 8-year-olds whether they or their child ever had asthma/wheezy bronchitis, allergic rhinitis/conjunctivitis, eczema or urticaria/allergic congestion; whether a cat or dog lived inside the home; if anyone in the family had been horseback riding; and how many respiratory tract infections the child had during the first year of life. The children also were given skin prick tests for birch, timothy grass, dog, cat, horse, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae.
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