SELECTED ARTICLES FROM THE RECENT LITERATURE 2007

December 26, 2007

Ownership of Furry Pets and Eczema

Summary
The authors of this paper performed a systematic search and critical appraisal of the published literature with the purpose of examining whether pet exposure in early life was associated with an increased risk of eczema. Their conclusions were not definitive.

Evidence from longitudinal studies showed previous exposure to cats or any furry pet was associated with a lower risk of eczema. The only cohort study that was suggestive for avoidance behavior, however, failed to find any protective effect. A stratified analysis by family history in two birth cohort studies found that dog exposure was protective in atopic families. For cats, one study showed a reduced risk and the other showed no effect. Eight cross-sectional studies evaluating past pet exposure demonstrated protection in three studies for cat, dog, or any pet, and there was no increased risk.

The final conclusion of these investigators was that there was no clearcut evidence that pet exposure produced an increased risk for subsequent eczema.

Reference
Sinead M, et al. The role of furry pets in eczema: a systematic review. In: Archives of Dermatology 2007; 143:1570-1577.

 

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