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Pets and Childhood Eczema What Parents Need to Know
By Jessica MigalaMedically Reviewed by Ross Radusky, MDReviewed: May 17, 2021Medically ReviewedPlanning ahead can help you manage your child's eczema symptoms with a furry friend in the house.Bo Bo/StocksyChildhood eczema is common. About 1 in 8 children have atopic dermatitis, which is the most common type of eczema, according to National Eczema Association. When your child is bothered by flare-ups of itching, redness, and painful areas of skin, you’ll do anything to help them find relief. But what happens if you were looking to expand your family with a furry (or feathered) friend? Or, what if you have a dog — does this mean that your reliable companion needs to go to a new home? Here’s what you need to know about pets in the home when your child has eczema. RELATED: What Causes Eczema? Editor' s Picks
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The difficult answer is "maybe," and it largely depends on the severity of their symptoms and how well they can be controlled. That’s because reactions are variable. “Some kids can have eczema and be okay with a pet, while for others it causes symptom flares,” says Edidiong Kaminska, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with Kaminska Dermatology in Chicago. The culprit is not the fur but the dander, says Dr. Kaminska. Pet dander, as defined by the American Lung Association, is the tiny skin particles that are shed by animals with fur or feathers. While animals can bring pollen in from the outside via their fur, it’s not the hair itself that usually presents a problem. In addition to dander, bacterial debris from the pet’s saliva can also cause allergy issues, says Sheilagh Maguiness, MD, associate professor, dermatology, and pediatrics at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and VP of education and career development at the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. RELATED: How Long Does Eczema Last? Benefits of Having a Pet When Your Child Has Eczema
Some data suggests that having a dog in infancy or before starting a family can be protective against allergies, says Maguiness. (More on that below.) Yet bringing a dog into a home with someone who has allergies or eczema won’t treat the problem or cure the condition. Despite the fact that it’s the dander and saliva that are the true culprits (not the fur), “eczema is not directly caused by dander contacting the skin. Dermatitis in the skin is due to a delayed hypersensitivity reaction, something that’s commonly misunderstood,” she explains. (If contact with dander is causing hives — big, circular, red welts — this is referred to as an immediate hypersensitivity reaction.) When it comes to this delayed hypersensitivity reaction, what happens is that dander, which is an aeroallergen, triggers allergy symptoms, something that can then result in a flare of eczema, says Maguiness. In this scenario, symptoms occur on the face around the mucous membranes (mouth and eyes). “if your child already has eczema, you have to balance the risk for flares due to the aeroallergens on the overall benefits that having a pet brings to your family,” she says. RELATED: The Best and Worst Dog Breeds for People With Allergies Can Having a Pet Prevent Eczema
Having a dog as your “first baby” before you have children is best. “Families should know that there are multiple studies of early life exposure in infancy and the first year that show dogs have a protective effect on the development of eczema and other allergic diseases including allergic rhinitis and even asthma,” says Maguiness. “And having more than one dog is even more protective,” she says. One study, published in April 2020 Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, concluded that infants who live with dogs had a 40 percent lower risk of asthma, 28 percent lower risk of allergic rhinitis, and a 23 percent lower risk of atopic sensitization. Dr. Maguiness points to a study that randomized more than 1,300 three-month-old infants into a food allergy prevention trial. Published in the European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in May 2019, the research found that infants who lived with dogs had 90 percent lower odds of developing a food allergy. That study noted that there was no association with pet ownership and atopic dermatitis (the most common form of eczema). Still, all of these diseases fall into what’s called the “atopic triad,” a collection of allergic diseases, including rhinitis, asthma, and eczema that often occur with one another. The research on cats, however, is less clear, says Maguiness. “Some studies show cats may have a protective effect, while others show that it makes them worse,” she explains. RELATED: How to Recognize and Avoid Common Eczema Triggers Choosing a Pet When Your Child Has Eczema
It’s often assumed that people who have allergies who want a dog should choose a “hypoallergenic” dog. Unfortunately, “no breed of dog is truly hypoallergenic,” says Maguiness. These pets will still produce dander and saliva that trigger allergy. While there’s no perfect breed, she says, if you are choosing a pet, your best option is to find one that sheds less. That said, if your child experiences a lot of facial symptoms during eczema flares (such as around the mouth or eyelids), Maguiness would advise parents to bring their child to an allergist for skin prick testing to see if they are truly sensitized to the pet. Even in that scenario, you can work with an allergist to use antihistamines and minimize your child’s exposure to dander. “There are minimal families who actually need to rehome their dog due to their child’s eczema,” says Maguiness. RELATED: A Detailed Guide for Treating Eczema Tips for Pet Care When Managing Eczema
Minimize dander shedding from your pet. You can do that with frequent cleaning and choice of finishings, advises Maguiness:Hardwood floors are preferable to carpet, as they’re easier to keep clean and won’t harbor dander like carpet can.Vacuum frequently.Use an air filtration system.Frequently brush your pet, ideally outdoors.Take your pet to the groomer regularly. RELATED: 8 Hand Eczema Dos and Don’ts for Cleansing A Final Word on Pets and Child Eczema
For most families, having a dog is possible even if your child has eczema. It’s less certain with cats, so talk to your child’s doctor. For the vast majority of kids who have mild to moderate disease, families can have a pet, particularly a dog, and manage their child’s eczema with proper treatment, says Maguiness. Still, if possible, a little planning ahead can only help. “The best time to get a dog is before you have children. It’s also a great first step and practice to becoming a parent,” she says. RELATED: An Essential Guide to Baby Eczema Additional reporting by Regina Boyle Wheeler. NEWSLETTERS Sign up for our Healthy Skin Newsletter
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