In a recent preliminary study, it was found that infants that were in houses with furry pets had shared some of the animals' gut bacteria, which may be helping protect against some allergies.
While this isn't a sure thing because it is only a preliminary study, researchers think they are narrowing down some earlier studies that didn't provide solid explanations but seem to point to exposure to animals leading to healthier kids. It will be interesting to see if this research holds true so everyone will want to adopt more of those pets to have around!
Here are some recent articles on the study:
Reuters
Yahoo
Pediatricians should not advise parents to avoid having pets in the home for fear of allergies, she said.
“If a family with a pregnant mother or an infant wants to have a pet, the family can be encouraged to have one, because the development of allergic disease cannot be prevented by avoiding pets,” she said.
ref Rueters.com
