3 BRILLIANT MINUTES: Infants around pets may have less food allergies

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - Do you want your child to live a healthier life? Keeping a cat or a dog around the house might just do the trick. .

In a study published in a journal called Plos One, researchers analyzed data from over 65,000 children in Japan.

They found that babies exposed to cats or indoor dogs have about a 16% lower chance of developing food allergies, compared with babies in pet-free homes.

Kids living with cats were less likely to develop egg, wheat and soybean allergies while dog owners’ children were less likely to have egg, milk and nut allergies.

Experts quoted in the study also say that pet exposure may strengthen an infant’s gut microbiome.

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