Children with asthma who grow up with dogs don’t experience a long-term increase in severe asthma symptoms, but may have a slightly higher risk of acute asthma episodes, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet.
For families wondering about the impact of pets on a child’s asthma, researchers have been investigating the connection for years. The new findings, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: Global, offer a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between dog ownership and asthma development.
The study analyzed data from nearly 100,000 children diagnosed with asthma and airway allergies, tracking them until they reached age 19 or the study concluded in 2023. Researchers categorized the children’s exposure to dogs as none, continuous, or discontinued.
“There’s been limited research on how living with a dog, or getting rid of a dog, impacts asthma outcomes in children with allergic asthma, which is why we wanted to study this on a population level,” said Catarina Almqvist Malmros, a pediatrician at Astrid Lindgren’s Children’s Hospital and professor at the Department of Medical epidemiology and biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet.
Dog Ownership Doesn’t Appear to Worsen Long-Term Asthma Control
The study found no significant correlation between continuous dog exposure and moderate to severe asthma over time. After two, four, and six years from diagnosis, the severity of asthma was roughly the same in children with and without dogs.
However, researchers did observe a slight difference when looking at acute asthma—episodes requiring emergency care or increased employ of bronchodilator medication. Children living with dogs had a modestly higher risk of acute asthma compared to those without dogs. This risk persisted even for children whose families had rehomed their dogs, suggesting that dog allergens can remain in the environment for an extended period. The findings suggest that removing a dog from the home doesn’t necessarily improve asthma outcomes.
Researchers suggest that lingering dog allergens in the home, and the prevalence of allergens in public spaces like schools, could contribute to these findings. A limitation of the study is that it didn’t differentiate between patients with dog allergies and other airway allergies.
“Our findings can be helpful in conversations between families and healthcare professionals,” said Resthie Putri, a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet. “Having or keeping a dog doesn’t seem to affect the long-term severity of asthma, but it may slightly increase the risk of acute asthma.”
Scientific Article:
Dog exposure and subsequent asthma outcomes in children with asthma and allergy, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: Global.
