Some children who are exposed to cats in their first year of life may have an increased risk for eczema, a new study reveals.
What’s responsible for the increased risk?
Mutation in the gene for filaggrin, a protein on the skin that helps reduce water loss and protects against harsh environment.
As reported in Medpage Today, scientists from the Copenhagen Study on Asthma in Childhood found that eczema was likely to develop among children who have the mutation and who have a cat in their home at birth. Only those children with the mutation have the increased risk. Likewise, …read more

Which of these is NOT poisonous to young children?

toilet bowl cleaner
baby oil
acetaminophen
vitamins
mouthwash

The answer? NONE. All of them are considered hazardous to children when ingested. Yes, even baby oil – infants have died from getting baby oil in their lungs.
About 1 million children accidentally get poisoned by common household products. Here are some hazardous products that are commonly ingested by children under 6.
How do you poison-proof your home?

Lock up all medicines and harmful substances.
Get rid of old or expired medications.
Don’t rely on child-resistant containers.
Keep medicines, pesticides, and even detergents in their original containers.
Move purses, …read more

This Scientific American article looks at the controversial question “does being exposed to pets cause a rise in childhood allergies, or actually protect from it?”
Consider these statements from various scientists interviewed in the post -

* Pet ownership is associated with a decreased risk of developing allergies in countries with a lot of pets. On the contrary, it will increase the risk for allergy in countries with fewer pets.
* Children raised on farms experience fewer allery symptoms than other kids, but then again, farm kids lead very different lives than kids raised elsewhere, so it’s difficult to tease out exactly …read more