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Babies who slept on animal skins during their first 3 months of life were almost 40% less likely to have asthma by the time they were 10 years old, according to a population-based cohort study.
Sleeping on animal skins during infancy also was linked to lower odds of wheezing and hay fever, but did not seem to affect eczema or sensitivity to airborne antigens, Dr. Christina Tischer reported at the annual meeting of the European Respiratory Society.
"Early exposure to animal fur could be a simple, cheap, and effective way to resemble an environment with higher microbial exposure," said Dr. Tischer, a researcher at the German Institute for Environmental Health in Neuherberg, Germany. "It might follow similar protective mechanisms in relation to asthma and allergy as it has been observed in farm and rural environments."
The investigators studied 2,441 children in Germany who were up to 10 years old; parents answered a series of questionnaires about asthma and respiratory risk factors and health outcomes. In all, 55% of the children slept on animal skins or animal furs during their first 3 months of life, Dr. Tischer and her associates reported.
By age 10 years, children who slept on animal skins or animal fur as infants had a 25% lower odds of ever having wheezed (adjusted odds ratio, 0.75), a 38% lower odds of having been diagnosed with asthma (aOR, 0.62), and a 35% lower odds of having been diagnosed with hay fever (aOR, 0.65) compared with children who did not sleep on animals skins or furs as infants, the investigators reported.
Funding information for the study was not available. Dr. Tischer reported no conflicts of interest.
Sleeping on animal skins or fur in the first 3 months of life may decrease the risk of childhood atopy BUT increases the risk of death related to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). This study is from Germany, which may explain cultural differences regarding bedding for infants, but there are reports of cultural diversity regarding bedding for infants even in the United States.
The journal Pediatrics published a study looking at data in 2011 discussing African American parental decisions about infant bedding and sleep surfaces (Pediatrics 2011;128;494).The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) supports the policy that infants should sleep on firm bedding. Specifically, infants should not be placed on soft bedding, including blankets, pillows, or sheepskin, for example. In addition, crib bumpers should not be used. Finally, once the AAP promoted the “Back to Sleep” program (meaning babies should NOT be placed on their tummies to sleep), SIDS deaths in the United States decreased.
Sleeping on animal skins or fur in the first 3 months of life may decrease the risk of childhood atopy BUT increases the risk of death related to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). This study is from Germany, which may explain cultural differences regarding bedding for infants, but there are reports of cultural diversity regarding bedding for infants even in the United States.
The journal Pediatrics published a study looking at data in 2011 discussing African American parental decisions about infant bedding and sleep surfaces (Pediatrics 2011;128;494).The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) supports the policy that infants should sleep on firm bedding. Specifically, infants should not be placed on soft bedding, including blankets, pillows, or sheepskin, for example. In addition, crib bumpers should not be used. Finally, once the AAP promoted the “Back to Sleep” program (meaning babies should NOT be placed on their tummies to sleep), SIDS deaths in the United States decreased.
Sleeping on animal skins or fur in the first 3 months of life may decrease the risk of childhood atopy BUT increases the risk of death related to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). This study is from Germany, which may explain cultural differences regarding bedding for infants, but there are reports of cultural diversity regarding bedding for infants even in the United States.
The journal Pediatrics published a study looking at data in 2011 discussing African American parental decisions about infant bedding and sleep surfaces (Pediatrics 2011;128;494).The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) supports the policy that infants should sleep on firm bedding. Specifically, infants should not be placed on soft bedding, including blankets, pillows, or sheepskin, for example. In addition, crib bumpers should not be used. Finally, once the AAP promoted the “Back to Sleep” program (meaning babies should NOT be placed on their tummies to sleep), SIDS deaths in the United States decreased.
Babies who slept on animal skins during their first 3 months of life were almost 40% less likely to have asthma by the time they were 10 years old, according to a population-based cohort study.
Sleeping on animal skins during infancy also was linked to lower odds of wheezing and hay fever, but did not seem to affect eczema or sensitivity to airborne antigens, Dr. Christina Tischer reported at the annual meeting of the European Respiratory Society.
"Early exposure to animal fur could be a simple, cheap, and effective way to resemble an environment with higher microbial exposure," said Dr. Tischer, a researcher at the German Institute for Environmental Health in Neuherberg, Germany. "It might follow similar protective mechanisms in relation to asthma and allergy as it has been observed in farm and rural environments."
The investigators studied 2,441 children in Germany who were up to 10 years old; parents answered a series of questionnaires about asthma and respiratory risk factors and health outcomes. In all, 55% of the children slept on animal skins or animal furs during their first 3 months of life, Dr. Tischer and her associates reported.
By age 10 years, children who slept on animal skins or animal fur as infants had a 25% lower odds of ever having wheezed (adjusted odds ratio, 0.75), a 38% lower odds of having been diagnosed with asthma (aOR, 0.62), and a 35% lower odds of having been diagnosed with hay fever (aOR, 0.65) compared with children who did not sleep on animals skins or furs as infants, the investigators reported.
Funding information for the study was not available. Dr. Tischer reported no conflicts of interest.
Babies who slept on animal skins during their first 3 months of life were almost 40% less likely to have asthma by the time they were 10 years old, according to a population-based cohort study.
Sleeping on animal skins during infancy also was linked to lower odds of wheezing and hay fever, but did not seem to affect eczema or sensitivity to airborne antigens, Dr. Christina Tischer reported at the annual meeting of the European Respiratory Society.
"Early exposure to animal fur could be a simple, cheap, and effective way to resemble an environment with higher microbial exposure," said Dr. Tischer, a researcher at the German Institute for Environmental Health in Neuherberg, Germany. "It might follow similar protective mechanisms in relation to asthma and allergy as it has been observed in farm and rural environments."
The investigators studied 2,441 children in Germany who were up to 10 years old; parents answered a series of questionnaires about asthma and respiratory risk factors and health outcomes. In all, 55% of the children slept on animal skins or animal furs during their first 3 months of life, Dr. Tischer and her associates reported.
By age 10 years, children who slept on animal skins or animal fur as infants had a 25% lower odds of ever having wheezed (adjusted odds ratio, 0.75), a 38% lower odds of having been diagnosed with asthma (aOR, 0.62), and a 35% lower odds of having been diagnosed with hay fever (aOR, 0.65) compared with children who did not sleep on animals skins or furs as infants, the investigators reported.
Funding information for the study was not available. Dr. Tischer reported no conflicts of interest.
FROM THE EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS
Key clinical point: Sleeping on animals skins during infancy might protect against wheezing, asthma, and hay fever.
Major finding: Children who slept on animal skins during the first 3 months of life had 25% lower odds of wheezing, 38% lower odds of asthma, and 35% lower odds of hay fever at up to 10 years of age, compared with children who did not sleep on skins as infants.
Data source: Population-based cohort study of 2,441 children up to age 10 years in Germany.
Disclosures: Funding information for the study was not available. Dr. Tischer reported no conflicts of interest.
