Article: Study: Exposure to dogs and cats may protect children from allergies.

Byline: Laura Beil

DALLAS _ A little hair of the dog (or cat) may protect kids against allergies.

Children who live around two or more dogs or cats before their first birthday are less likely to have allergies of any sort, according to a study in Wednesday's issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study is one of the most comprehensive so far to look at the "hygiene hypothesis," the idea that allergies are increasing because American childhood has gotten too clean. While some studies have suggested that early exposure to animals raises the risk of becoming allergic to them, other research has found that the immune system ...

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