Cats Can Trigger Allergies in Some Children

Filed in archive Asthma , Pet Allergies , Skin Allergies on June 29, 2008

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Marzanna Syncerz

Whether keeping pet cats (or dogs) can trigger asthma and allergies in children or not has been long argued. For every research study showing that such pets increase the risks of children having asthma or allergies, there's probably another one saying it doesn't. No wonder, researchers are keeping at it, trying to find an answer once and for all.

A recent study indicates that it's genetics is probably what muddles up the issue. Apparently, individuals who have mutations in the FLG gene are more likely to develop eczema if there is a cat at home. According to their study, children with the mutation were twice as likely to develop eczema during their first year of life. Those with the mutation and a cat in their home from the time of their birth had a further increased risk of having eczema.

What these seems to indicate is that it is not the exposure to cats during infancy that causes the allergies. Rather, having cats at home just increased the chances of having allergies in individuals that are already genetically predisposed to have allergic reactions anyway. It also does not directly indicate that it is the cats themselves which are the culprits; it could also be other factors that are associated with having a cat at home. For all we know, it's the cat food or something else that's also present in households with pet cats!