Dogs, cats help babies' health, study finds

[Guest guest]

otitis/antibiotics connection:

Dogs, cats help babies' health, study finds

<http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-dogs-cats-babies-health-20120709,0,6\

527217.story>

By Amina Khan | 5 a.m.

Fido the dog and Ginger the cat need not worry about being replaced by a

new baby --- in fact, they could be helping parents raise healthier

children.

A new study finds that children who lived with dogs or cats during their

first year of life got sick less frequently than kids from pet-free

zones. The study, published in Monday's edition of the journal

Pediatrics, provides fresh evidence for the counterintuitive notion that

an overly clean environment may not be ideal for babies....

- - - -

Respiratory Tract Illnesses During the First Year of Life: Effect of Dog

and Cat Contacts

* Eija Bergroth,

* Sami Remes,

* Juha Pekkanen,

* Timo Kauppila,

* Gisela Büchele,

* and Leea Keski-Nisula

Pediatrics peds.2011-2825; published ahead of print July 9, 2012,

doi:10.1542/peds.2011-2825

* Abstract

<http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2012/07/03/peds.2011-2825.a\

bstract?sid=e657af72-0e65-4561-979d-1209a9abbd02>