AbstractBackgroundAvoidance of pets as a strategy for preventing atopic diseases has been questioned. This study aimed to identify the risk of sensitization and allergic symptoms at age 13 in relation to dog‐ and cat‐keeping during and after the first year of life.MethodsThe study included all children born at Östersund Hospital in Northern Sweden between February 1996 and January 1997 (n = 1231). At inclusion, parents were asked to answer questionnaires about lifestyle, including cat‐ and dog‐keeping. Dog allergy, cat allergy, hay fever, and asthma were diagnosed based on parental reported allergic symptoms at 13 years of age (n = 834). The risks of sensitization or allergy in relation to dog‐ and cat‐keeping during and after the first year of life were analyzed with logistic regression. To adjust for reverse causation, all subjects that had reported avoidance of pets due to allergic symptoms of the child or allergy in the family (n = 177) were excluded.ResultsDog‐ or cat‐keeping during the first year of life reduced the risk of sensitization to dog or cat allergens, respectively, and to birch and to at least one of the 10 allergens tested. Cat‐keeping, both during and after the first year of life, reduced the risk of cat allergy and hay fever. Having a dog at home during the first year of life reduced the risk of dog and cat allergy, whereas dog‐keeping after the first year of life did not affect allergic symptoms.ConclusionsCat ownership, either during or after the first year of life, may be a strategy for preventing the development of cat allergy and hay fever later in life. Dog ownership reduced the risk of sensitization to dog and birch allergen, and also the risk of cat and dog allergy, but had no effect on hay fever.

中文翻译：

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出生后第一年期间/之后养猫和狗以及过敏风险和 13 岁时报告的过敏症状

摘要背景将避免养宠物作为预防特应性疾病的策略受到质疑。本研究旨在确定 13 岁时与狗和猫一岁期间及之后饲养相关的致敏和过敏症状的风险。方法该研究纳入了 1996 年 2 月至 1997 年 1 月期间在瑞典北部厄斯特松德医院出生的所有儿童 (n = 1231)。在纳入时，父母被要求回答有关生活方式的调查问卷，包括养猫和养狗。狗过敏、猫过敏、花粉热和哮喘是根据 13 岁时父母报告的过敏症状诊断的 (n = 834)。采用逻辑回归分析了狗和猫出生后第一年和之后的致敏或过敏风险。为了调整反向因果关系，所有报告因儿童过敏症状或家庭过敏而避免养宠物的受试者 (n = 177) 均被排除。结果在出生第一年饲养狗或猫分别降低了对狗或猫过敏原、桦树和测试的 10 种过敏原中至少一种过敏的风险。养猫在一岁期间和之后，可以降低猫过敏和花粉热的风险。出生第一年在家养狗可以降低狗和猫过敏的风险，而出生一年后养狗不会影响过敏症状。结论无论是在出生后的第一年或之后养猫，可能是预防以后出现猫过敏和花粉症的一种策略。养狗降低了对狗和桦树过敏原过敏的风险，也降低了猫和狗过敏的风险，但对花粉热没有影响。