Time to rethink Kitty.

Bad news for cat aficionados – if you have cats at home, your children may be at an increased risk of developing eczema, especially if they were exposed to cats soon after birth.

A study presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference by the University of Arizona tracked 486 children from birth and recorded how many cats and dogs were in the house, following up a year later to see which children had developed eczema.

Of the 134 children with cats in the household, 27.6% had eczema by one year of age, compared with 17.8% of 286 children without cats. While exposure to cats increased a child’s risk of eczema whether or not their mother had asthma, the effect was more pronounced in children whose mothers did not have asthma.

Dogs, however, seem to have a slight edge over cats in the allergies department. The study found that children exposed to two or more dogs at home may enjoy a little more protection from the skin condition.

We know that cats should be handled with care by pregnant women, but it looks like the caution must continue even after the baby is born. I know several children with eczema and those who have it severely do find the condition quite debilitating. If you have cats, perhaps it’s time to think about options, painful though it may be.