Growing Up With a Pooch Could Be Key to Protecting Against Crohn’s Disease
Letting the family dog slobber all over your child’s face may not seem hygienic, but research suggests it may provide an added layer of protection against Crohn’s disease for your little one.An unpublished study presented at Digestive Disease Week in San Diego in May added to the 'hygiene hypothesis' — the idea that exposure to germs as a child helps build a stronger immune system. Study researchers found that children who grew up with a dog or in large families were less likely to develop Crohn’s disease.To conduct the study, which started in 2008 and is ongoing, researchers used questionnaires to collect information from more than 4,200 parents, siblings, or children of people who have Crohn’s disease. This high-risk group participated in the Crohn’s and Colitis Canada Genetic, Environmental, and…