Cats and dogs and the risk of atopy in childhood and adulthood

BACKGROUND: Exposure to cats and dogs during childhood has been linked to a lower risk of developing allergies. It remains unclear whether this is due to selective avoidance of pets by families with a history of allergies. The effects of pet ownership in adulthood are unknown. OBJECTIVES: We sought to assess the association between cat and dog ownership in childhood and early adulthood and the development of atopy in a population-based birth …