A Finnish study found a clue to fewer illnesses in babies in dog house dust

With that small children in dog families get sick less than others has been seen in studies before.

In the new in a Finnish study the most interesting observation was the spectrum of microbes. The researchers found certain dog-related microbes in the house dust that seemed to explain some of this connection.

On the other hand, the general abundance of bacteria in the home did not seem to be the reason for fewer illnesses in babies.

Osa of the dog’s benefits seemed to be related to certain genera of bacteria and fungi that the dog brings home. Children in kennels had fewer respiratory infections, antibiotic courses and weeks of fever.

The combination of three co-occurring Bacteria genera explained at most about a quarter of the association found between living with a dog and lower antibiotic use.

The strongest connection was seen Pasteurella– with the bacterial genus, which was especially associated with fewer weeks of fever. Pasteurella known especially for wound infections related to animal bites.

However, this study did not investigate bites or disease-causing infections, but rather what kind of dog-related bacteria were found in the dust of the home and how they were related to the illnesses of babies.

In research included 368 Finnish children who were followed from pregnancy to the end of the first year of life.

The researchers analyzed the microbes in house dust when the children were about two months old. The parents kept a weekly record of, among other things, fever, illness and antibiotic courses.

Researchers emphasize that the study was observational, so it does not show a definite cause-and-effect relationship.

Less illness in dog families is not necessarily explained by bacteria alone. There may also be other factors in the background, such as the lifestyle of dog families.

They themselves mention, for example, a lifestyle more focused on outdoor activities, a regular everyday life and shared responsibilities in the family. However, they emphasize that these factors were not investigated in this study.