According to new research, parents shouldn’t worry that having a pet will make their kids develop allergies. A study of 565 children from birth to age 18 found that living with a dog or a cat during the first year of life can actually halve kids’ risk of developing an allergic reaction to the animals. Oddly, whether the child was delivered vaginally or via C-section was also a factor. Those born by cesarean who had pets as infants were less likely to have allergic reactions. Research has shown babies born via cesarean pick up more microbes from things around the house, and thus have a different immune response.
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