GET A PET TO BOOST YOUR CHILD'S IMMUNE SYSTEM

Author: Monica E. Hamburgh, MD, Pediatrics, Orlando Health

Most children share a deep love and bond with their family pets. These adorable furry friends do more than offer companionship, teach responsibility and bring joy to your home — they can help boost children’s immune systems, too.

Immune Response: Allergens, Eczema, Infections

Though you may hesitate to let your dog lick your baby’s face, these doggy kisses may help protect your child from getting sick.

Researchers in Finland found that family pets — dogs in particular — have a protective effect on children’s respiratory tracts. Babies who have early contact with cats or dogs are 30 percent less likely to experience colds, ear infections and coughs than children who are not exposed to animals.

Why Pets Help Our Immune System

When you let your dog outside, they may dig in the dirt, sniff their environment, chase animals and roll in the grass before coming back inside your home. Though this may be a turnoff for some parents, when a pet brings germs into our homes on their paws, fur and snouts, these germs benefit the human microbiome and help keep us healthier.

Outdoor cats who spend time in the home also offer health benefits, though they are a little more fastidious and tend to track fewer germs than dogs.

Indoor cats and other pets may not be as beneficial to the immune system, but they are wonderful for providing companionship and reducing stress. A few minutes of petting an animal can give your child an immunity boost, too. One study found that petting a dog for only 18 minutes can raise immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels in our saliva, an antibody that helps protect against infection.

Never Too Young

Being around pets offers health benefits from infancy to adulthood, so having a family pet is great at any age. The immunity boost your pet provides will happen as soon as you introduce the pet into your home. But you should get a pet only when you are ready for the responsibility.

Other Health Benefits of Having Pets

In addition to boosting children’s immune systems, the bond between human and animal offers your children other health benefits, too.

• Mental health. Animal companionship can ease anxiety and reduce stress.

• Physical activity. Taking your family pet for a hike, walk or run is a great way to fit daily exercise into your child’s schedule.

• Self-esteem. When your pet gives your child unconditional love, this can boost your child’s self-esteem. Being responsible for the pet’s care also develops a sense of accomplishment and responsibility in young children.

• Socialization. Having a family pet can improve your child’s social and emotional skills.

Before You Get a Pet

It’s essential to teach babies and children animal safety. Show your children how to responsibly interact with pets to avoid accidents and injury. Don’t leave a baby or small child unattended with a dog for the safety of both.

Thank you to our Local Presenting Sponsor Orlando Health for their support of Dogs! A Science Tail, exhibiting this summer May 27 - September 4.

Orlando Science Center is dedicated to helping break down fears surrounding intimidating topics to encourage more curiosity, innovation, and discussion. We want to strengthen people’s skills in the scientific method so they can apply critical thinking skills to make informed decisions regarding science topics.

So, what is a major issue we face every day that might seem intimidating? Climate change. Building critical thinking skills and science literacy will help us better understand complex interactions and connections between us, our planet, and our ecosystems.

Our understanding of climate change has gone through several changes over the last few decades. For a while, debate centered on whether global warming existed at all. Later, the debate evolved into an either/or situation: are humans impacting the climate, or is this change entirely natural?

It is very clear that humans are changing the atmosphere through greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation, which is leading to a warmer average temperature and changes in climate and ecosystems around the globe.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a collection of people around the world who have dedicated their entire lives to the research of climate change. They’ve created detailed reports that prove these claims.

If you’d like to do your own research, you can read through these reports on the IPCC Website. The reports are a great source, and the IPCC provides more approachable summaries on their site that do a good job of breaking down the complex science.

However, if you’re looking for something more digestible, you’re in luck! There are many reliable sources across the internet. If you need help figuring out whether a source is reliable or not, check out our

Questions To Consider

• What is climate change?

• How does climate change affect my life?

• What can I do to help make a difference?

blog on Mythbusting Misinformation. Then check out our content on Protecting the Planet, where we’ve shared some of our favorite resources on climate change! This includes carbon footprint calculators, video resources from PBS and more, action-oriented steps to make changes in our everyday lives, conversation starters, and tips for talking to your kids about climate change.

The good news about climate change is that it is NOT an all-or-nothing outcome. There are a million different possibilities with varying degrees of impact, and the more we do to slow down the change, the more we can minimize harm. This truly means that every little bit helps – and there are hundreds of ways to make a positive difference!

Everything from turning off lights to advocating for policy changes that support meaningful action can make an impact. One of the biggest ways you can make a difference is to simply be curious. Educate yourself and remember that there is always more to learn, no matter your background or education level. To learn more about our Protect the Planet initiative, visit osc.org/protect-the-planet.