THL: Dogs are good for health and development of young kids

The dogs pictured above are not related to the story.

A recent study found that children exposed to dogs early in life experienced fewer respiratory infections and needed fewer antibiotics.

According to a new study by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), children who grow up with a dog are healthier than their peers.

Researchers found that microbes associated with dogs help to strengthen the developing immune system. Children exposed to these microbes experienced fewer respiratory infections, spent less weeks with fever and required fewer courses of antibiotics.

"The greatest health benefits are seen when a dog joins the family during pregnancy or while the children are still very young," noted paediatrician and researcher Jenni Mäki.

The study followed nearly 400 Finnish families, around one-third of whom lived on farms, while the remainder lived in rural areas as well as in cities.

Researchers said the protective effect was linked to specific microbes carried by dogs, rather than simply a greater diversity of bacteria in the home. The association remained even after accounting for factors such as family size, living environment and exposure to tobacco smoke.

The research was carried out by THL in collaboration with Kuopio University Hospital and the University of Eastern Finland.