For children who have a higher risk of asthma than average, raising dogs in the home increases the likelihood of developing lung disease, a new study has shown.

Dogs increase the risk of asthma in young children images 1 The findings, published in the Journal of Child Immunology and Allergy, were drawn after conducting experiments with 380 children at high risk of asthma due to family history.

According to the study, children around seven years of age who are in contact with dogs are more likely to have asthma. Meanwhile, the study found that there was no link between the disease and cat contact.

Dr. Chris Carlsten of Vancouver General Hospital in Canada says that dogs exactly have a high risk of asthma while cats do not yet have a clear result. The cause is due to endotoxins - a substance produced by bacteria and known as stimulants that cause inflammation in the atmosphere.

Carlsten said: "Dogs often have a lot of endotoxins on them, whereas cats have much less."

Carlsten and colleagues found that children around 7 years of age exposed to large amounts of allergens in dogs - at least 2 micrograms / 1 gram of dust - will have a three-fold increased risk. asthma if less exposed.

However, this study only looks at children at high risk for asthma, it is still unclear whether these results are true for children at moderate risk. ./.