Do cats protect against eczema?

Eczema prevention

Protect cats from eczema?

07/12/2010

In an observational study, researchers from the University of Zurich have found that the proximity of livestock and cats has a preventive effect on atopic dermatitis. However, the scientists could not clarify the reasons for this in their study.

The observational study of 1,063 children from rural regions in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and Finland has shown that pregnant women living in the vicinity of cats or livestock protect their children from atopic dermatitis, according to study leader Caroline Roduit from the University of Zurich in the latest publication of the study results in the journal „Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology“. Caroline Roduit added: „Since it was an observational study, the exact connections for protection can not be clarified. However, we found several environmental factors that have a preventive effect.“

Farm life protects against allergies
Of the 1,063 children studied, one in two came from a farming family, so contact with farm animals and cats during pregnancy was not uncommon for mothers. The researchers came to the conclusion that children whose mothers had lived close to livestock or cats during pregnancy experience a significantly lower risk of developing atopic dermatitis for the first two years of life. The fact that farm children are rarely plagued by allergies has long been undisputed in the professional world, although the causes of this preventive effect have remained unclear. Various factors, such as a recently discovered herbal sugar molecule in the hay, which should reduce the risk of allergies, are a decisive factor in the discussion of the preventive effects of farm life. It is clear that even children of mothers who lived on a farm during pregnancy, enjoy appropriate protection.

Proximity to cats protects against atopic dermatitis
The current observational study by the research team headed by Caroline Roduit has now shown that not only a farm life but also the proximity of expectant mothers to cats causes a reduction in the risk of atopic dermatitis. Surprising is the study result, as cats have always been considered as potential risk factors for allergies. So far, pregnant women have been advised to avoid cat hair in order to prevent allergies of the child. This thesis is no longer tenable given the current study results. Although researchers can „without knowing the mechanism of action, (...) make no recommendation“, but „a cat (...) does not have an adverse effect on the development of eczema“, The scientists explained in the context of the publication of their current study results. „Cat owners do not have to leave their pets during pregnancy“, added Caroline Roduit. Besides, the scientists would have „also identify two genes that children are unlikely to suffer from allergies, Roduit explained.

Up to 20 percent of children suffer from atopic dermatitis
The atopic dermatitis called atopic eczema is characterized by red, scaly, partially oozing eczema on the skin accompanied by a strong itching. Typical is a relapsing course of the disease. According to the health authorities, up to 20 percent of children in the industrialized countries are affected by atopic dermatitis, with the disease occurring in about 60 percent of those affected in the first year of life and 90 percent until the age of five. The spread of atopic eczema has increased significantly since the middle of the 20th century, and eczema today is about four to six times more prevalent than it was 50 years ago. The decisive factor for the occurrence of neurodermatitis is a complex interplay of genetic factors, immunological changes and environmental influences. For example, a constant contact with flour, disinfectants or cleaning agents, or exaggerated hygiene, lead to the disease, said the scientists around Caroline Roduit. (Fp)

Picture credits: Thorsten Müller