Pets prevent asthma, says Swedish study

Children with dogs or farm pets at a young age are less likely to have asthma by the age of six. Exposure to animals, particularly pets, may prevent asthma (Time, November 2, 2015).

In a new Swedish study published in the JAMA Pediatrics journal, researchers at the Uppsala University, the Karolinska Institute, the Karolinska University Hospital, the Orebro University Hospital, Orebro University, and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, studied over 376,000 preschool students and over 276,200 school-aged students.

The researcher studied children in families of registered dog owners or exposed to farm animals during the first year of life.

The results showed that children exposed to dogs in the first year of life was linked to a 13% lower risk of asthma when they were of school age. Children exposed to farm animals in the first year of life had a 52% lower risk of asthma.

Their research suggested tht the lack of exposure to germs and microbes during childhood could lead to more allergies, and that exposure to germs through dogs and farm pet could strengthen a child’s immune system. Living with pets and livestock seems to alter the bacterial composition of house dust. Other research showed that mice exposed to this dust have alterations in their gut composition as well as fewer allergic reactions.

Whereas some people think exposure to animals may cause their children to contract diseases, it seems that is not the case – the germs exposed to early in life seem to build a healthier and stronger immune system.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/301881.php

http://time.com/4096795/dog-asthma-risk-children/?xid=homepage

The top photo is from thesciencedog.wordpress.com

Comments

Pir-E-Kamil - The Perfect Mentor by Umera Ahmed: book review

The Perfect Mentor pbuh (2011) is set in Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. The novel commences with Imama Mubeen in medical university. She wants to be an eye specialist. Her parents have arranged for her to marry her first cousin Asjad. Salar Sikander, her neighbour, is 18 years old with an IQ of 150+ and a photographic memory. He has long hair tied in a ponytail. He imbibes alcohol, treats women disrespectfully and is generally a “weird chap” and a rude, belligerent teenager. In the past three years he has tried to commit suicide three times. He tries again. Imama and her brother, Waseem, answer the servant’s call to help Salar. They stop the bleeding from his wrist and save his life. Imama and Asjad have been engaged for three years, because she wants to finish her studies first. Imama is really delaying her marriage to Asjad because she loves Jalal Ansar. She proposes to him and he says yes. But he knows his parents won’t agree, nor will Imama’s parents. That

Flaws in the Glass, a self-portrait by Patrick White: book review

The manuscript, Flaws in the Glass (1981), is Patrick Victor Martindale White’s autobiography. White, born in 1912 in England, migrated to Sydney, Australia, when he was six months old. For three years, at the age of 20, he studied French and German literature at King’s College at the University of Cambridge in England. Throughout his life, he published 12 novels. In 1957 he won the inaugural Miles Franklin Literary Award for Voss, published in 1956. In 1961, Riders in the Chariot became a best-seller, winning the Miles Franklin Literary Award. In 1973, he was the first Australian author to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for The Eye of the Storm, despite many critics describing his works as ‘un-Australian’ and himself as ‘Australia’s most unreadable novelist.’ In 1979, The Twyborn Affair was short-listed for the Booker Prize, but he withdrew it from the competition to give younger writers the opportunity to win the award. His autobiography, Flaws in the Glass

Sister cities discussed: Canberra and Islamabad

Two months ago, in March 2015, Australia and Pakistan agreed to explore ways to deepen ties. The relationship between Australia and Pakistan has been strong for decades, and the two countries continue to keep dialogues open. The annual bilateral discussions were held in Australia in March to continue engagements on a wide range of matters of mutual interest. The Pakistan delegation discussed points of interest will include sports, agriculture, economic growth, trade, border protection, business, and education. The possible twinning of the cities of Canberra, the capital of Australia, and Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, were also on the agenda (i.e. called twin towns or sister cities). Sister City relationships are twinning arrangements that build friendships as well as government, business, culture, and community linkages. Canberra currently has international Sister City relationships with Beijing in China and Nara in Japan. One example of existing

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog