# Can Maltese hair cause asthma in newborns?



## .13124 (Jun 1, 2012)

My mom is a firm believer that if a newborn child is exposed to dog hair, it can lead to that child having asthma. I have not found proof of that and I tell her so, and I've told her there are several households with dogs and the owners are having children in the house and I have not heard of asthma caused by a hypoallergenic breed. I have heard that they can alleviate allergies, but I've heard nothing of asthma. I tried doing research to see if I can find any articles about it, but I have not found any concrete evidence for either side. 

On this website:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/asthma/causes.html

It doesn't mention dog hair as being a cause for asthma, and they don't even really know what exactly causes asthma in someone. 

My sister is due in December, and my mom is worried that since we have three dogs (Maltese, Yorkie, & shih tzu) that if the baby is exposed to being in the same room/house with them, that she will have respiratory problems. 


What are your opinions on this? Do you think newborns are more likely to develop asthma if they are around dogs? 


We were watching a tv show where they were talking about babies with asthma and dogs, but they only kept mentioning that hairless dogs are the ones that can be beneficial to these kids with asthma, but didn't say if it's BAD to have hairy dogs around. 

It just doesn't make sense to me that they cause asthma, I haven't heard of every household with pets to have children with asthma. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## CloudClan (Jan 31, 2007)

The research I have seen suggest the opposite is actually true: Why Having a Dog Helps Keep Kids Asthma-Free | TIME.com

If a kid has Asthma it can be harmful, but it actually can prevent it rather than cause it according to what I have seen.


----------



## Fluffdoll (Aug 9, 2012)

My oldest brother has an 11 month old baby and they have 5 cats, and 4 dogs (two are Maltese)... so far my niece is a happy, healthy, and gorgeous baby!  Also, I grew up with a Cocker Spaniel that my dad got my brother when my mom was pregnant. I was inseparable with that dog till he passed away when we were both 8. He used to shed, and I have no asthma or allergies! If anything it helped me develop antibodies (I think), so I have more tolerance to animal fur  I also have to add that my older sister had a tiny 2 lb Yorkie, and when she got pregnant she gave the dog away because people told her it was "unsanitary" for the baby. Today her son, my nephew, is 9 years old and he has asthma and is allergic to most animals. I'm no doctor, but from personal experience, I don't think that not having a dog around newborns will prevent them from having asthma in the future. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Maizy Moo's Mum (Jul 4, 2012)

When I was born my mum and dad had cats, the cats both died when I was about 5 and my mum and dad didn't get new cats right away. A few months later we stayed at an aunties house who had cats and I was really ill sneezing, itchy eyes and wheezing. I had never had asthma before this point but had a severe asthma attack and was going in and out of consciousness and was very close to going into a coma, basically the doctors think that when the cats died it dented my immunity to cats as my body and immune system was used to having them around!!! Very odd and am still severely allergic to them now so from my point of view no having animals around from birth doesn't affect newborns!


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## eiksaa (Jun 8, 2012)

I had plenty of dogs from when I was born till I was in high school. Doberman, cocker spaniels, Labradors, a Pomeranian, some mutts etc. Me and my siblings are all neither allergic to dogs or cats nor have asthma. 

Purely anecdotal but just wanted to share my experience. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

CloudClan said:


> The research I have seen suggest the opposite is actually true: Why Having a Dog Helps Keep Kids Asthma-Free | TIME.com
> 
> If a kid has Asthma it can be harmful, but it actually can prevent it rather than cause it according to what I have seen.


I've read a number of articles over the past few years that agree with this. 

Dogs Can Be Your Asthma-Prone Baby's Best Friend | Care2 Causes

prevention of allergy and asthma

Pet Dogs May Keep Infants From Wheezing

And there are many other articles as well.


----------



## pippersmom (May 21, 2012)

My granddaughter has cystic fibrosis and when she was born my daughter asked if being around animals was harmful since they have a cat and the specialists said it would not be harmful.


----------



## Summergirl73 (Sep 18, 2011)

I have such issues with the phrase "hypoallergenic breeds". Too often people misunderstand the word hypoallergenic. So just to clarify for anyone who isn't sure:

Wikipedia: "*Hypoallergenic*, meaning "below normal" or "slightly" allergenic, was a term first used in a cosmetics campaign in 1953.[1] It is used to describe items (especially cosmetics and textiles) that cause or are claimed to cause fewer allergic reactions. Hypoallergenic pets still produce allergens, but because of their coat type, absence of fur, or absence of a gene that produces a certain protein, they typically produce fewer allergens than others of the same species. People with severe allergies and asthma may still be affected by a hypoallergenic pet."

So anyone can be allergic to anything. I recently had a conversation with a rescue group who didn't even understand this. They believed that you couldn't be allergic to Malts because they are "hypoallergenic". This really sets potential pet owners off on the wrong foot ...again....as anyone can be allergic to anything. I for example grew up surrounded by every animal known to man ~ and I loved it  . Only once I was in my mid 30's did I start to develop life threatening allergies/ asthma related to foods etc. Yes, I am allergic to Bella. DH and I take care to minimize the impact I have to her. So to go back to your post, I'm just not sure there really is a right answer. No one else who grew up with me (cousins etc) has any real allergy/asthma issues that I'm aware of ...seems to be just bum luck  .


----------



## Leila'sMommy (Oct 20, 2012)

I've always heard it's the dander, not the hair or fur that people with allergies to dogs are allergic to. My mother had a chihuahua when I was an infant and I was allergic to dogs, but no asthma. Certain breeds still bother my allergies, but for the most part, I outgrew it. However, I've known many people with dogs and babies that never had any problems. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

Leila'sMommy said:


> I've always heard it's the dander, not the hair or fur that people with allergies to dogs are allergic to. My mother had a chihuahua when I was an infant and I was allergic to dogs, but no asthma. Certain breeds still bother my allergies, but for the most part, I outgrew it. However, I've known many people with dogs and babies that never had any problems.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I have severe allergies and the "hypoallergenic" breeds are the only ones I can really bury my face in like we love to with our fur-kids. My entire life, doctors have said it's the dander.

I have also learned that it's not just the dander, it can also be the pollens and dust that the fluffs can carry around on their coat. If my girls have been outside a lot, I wipe them down with no-rinse "shampoo" and that keeps me from sneezing.


----------



## michellerobison (Dec 17, 2009)

Probably depends on how much dust or dander they pick up in their hair, how long the hair is, how often to brush them or bathe,if they have carpet or tile. Where they live and dust and so on since asthma can be triggered by these...
I have asthma and our kitty can trigger allergies.. if pollen is bad, it will trigger an asthma attack when Harry brings in pollen on his fur...


----------



## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Very often asthma and severe food allergies go hand in hand so I have experience with that since my DS has both and I've produced videos for medical groups and the CDC. My son's highly allergic to cats but not dogs it seems and the research that I've seen seems to support that it's good to expose babies to pets to help their immune systems. There's a line of thinking (very popular amongst allergists) that the increase in food allergies is because we've oversanitized things so much over the last couple of decades that little one's immune systems react to things they normally would not (like foods). If they were fighting off germs and dirt, they wouldn't react to food. So I think the exposure to a pet helps in strengthening their immune system to both deal with pet dander/hair and I guess maybe "dirt." Not that our furkids are dirty :innocent: but they can track in germs.


----------



## .13124 (Jun 1, 2012)

CloudClan said:


> The research I have seen suggest the opposite is actually true: Why Having a Dog Helps Keep Kids Asthma-Free | TIME.com
> 
> If a kid has Asthma it can be harmful, but it actually can prevent it rather than cause it according to what I have seen.


Thanks for the article! So in articles like these where it talks of dogs as a whole, it can be applies to long haired dogs too? 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## .13124 (Jun 1, 2012)

Fluffdoll said:


> My oldest brother has an 11 month old baby and they have 5 cats, and 4 dogs (two are Maltese)... so far my niece is a happy, healthy, and gorgeous baby!  Also, I grew up with a Cocker Spaniel that my dad got my brother when my mom was pregnant. I was inseparable with that dog till he passed away when we were both 8. He used to shed, and I have no asthma or allergies! If anything it helped me develop antibodies (I think), so I have more tolerance to animal fur  I also have to add that my older sister had a tiny 2 lb Yorkie, and when she got pregnant she gave the dog away because people told her it was "unsanitary" for the baby. Today her son, my nephew, is 9 years old and he has asthma and is allergic to most animals. I'm no doctor, but from personal experience, I don't think that not having a dog around newborns will prevent them from having asthma in the future.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Glad to hear she's healthy  thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience on this, it really makes me feel at ease about this, that our dogs won't cause the baby harm. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## .13124 (Jun 1, 2012)

Maizy Moo's Mum said:


> When I was born my mum and dad had cats, the cats both died when I was about 5 and my mum and dad didn't get new cats right away. A few months later we stayed at an aunties house who had cats and I was really ill sneezing, itchy eyes and wheezing. I had never had asthma before this point but had a severe asthma attack and was going in and out of consciousness and was very close to going into a coma, basically the doctors think that when the cats died it dented my immunity to cats as my body and immune system was used to having them around!!! Very odd and am still severely allergic to them now so from my point of view no having animals around from birth doesn't affect newborns!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Wow, so sorry that happened, sounds awful. And also sounds really odd/interesting about how that happened because of not being with your cats for some time. Seems like the evidence from SM is leaning towards animals not causing asthma! 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## .13124 (Jun 1, 2012)

eiksaa said:


> I had plenty of dogs from when I was born till I was in high school. Doberman, cocker spaniels, Labradors, a Pomeranian, some mutts etc. Me and my siblings are all neither allergic to dogs or cats nor have asthma.
> 
> Purely anecdotal but just wanted to share my experience.
> 
> ...


That's what I was imagining that there MUST be some people that were raised in a house with dogs and turned out healthy, glad to know it is true  


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## .13124 (Jun 1, 2012)

maggieh said:


> I've read a number of articles over the past few years that agree with this.
> 
> Dogs Can Be Your Asthma-Prone Baby's Best Friend | Care2 Causes
> 
> ...


Very interesting the research that was done so far. Thanks for the articles


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## .13124 (Jun 1, 2012)

pippersmom said:


> My granddaughter has cystic fibrosis and when she was born my daughter asked if being around animals was harmful since they have a cat and the specialists said it would not be harmful.


My sister also asked her gynecologist if living in a house with dogs will be bad during her pregnancy or even after the baby comes and he said there will be no problems with that. My mom still didn't believe it. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## .13124 (Jun 1, 2012)

Summergirl73 said:


> I have such issues with the phrase "hypoallergenic breeds". Too often people misunderstand the word hypoallergenic. So just to clarify for anyone who isn't sure:
> 
> Wikipedia: "*Hypoallergenic*, meaning "below normal" or "slightly" allergenic, was a term first used in a cosmetics campaign in 1953.[1] It is used to describe items (especially cosmetics and textiles) that cause or are claimed to cause fewer allergic reactions. Hypoallergenic pets still produce allergens, but because of their coat type, absence of fur, or absence of a gene that produces a certain protein, they typically produce fewer allergens than others of the same species. People with severe allergies and asthma may still be affected by a hypoallergenic pet."
> 
> So anyone can be allergic to anything. I recently had a conversation with a rescue group who didn't even understand this. They believed that you couldn't be allergic to Malts because they are "hypoallergenic". This really sets potential pet owners off on the wrong foot ...again....as anyone can be allergic to anything. I for example grew up surrounded by every animal known to man ~ and I loved it  . Only once I was in my mid 30's did I start to develop life threatening allergies/ asthma related to foods etc. Yes, I am allergic to Bella. DH and I take care to minimize the impact I have to her. So to go back to your post, I'm just not sure there really is a right answer. No one else who grew up with me (cousins etc) has any real allergy/asthma issues that I'm aware of ...seems to be just bum luck  .


Before having Cici I also didn't know what hypoallergenic meant, I thought it was something "magical", like they could not cause any type of allergies to anyone and that they did NOT shed. But then I learned that its basically just their coat type, it really resembles human hair almost, and they shed hair significantly less than other breeds. My mom has really bad allergies with cats and most dogs she's been around, except the dogs we have. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## .13124 (Jun 1, 2012)

Leila'sMommy said:


> I've always heard it's the dander, not the hair or fur that people with allergies to dogs are allergic to. My mother had a chihuahua when I was an infant and I was allergic to dogs, but no asthma. Certain breeds still bother my allergies, but for the most part, I outgrew it. However, I've known many people with dogs and babies that never had any problems.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App



That's interesting, my mom keeps thinking its the hair because its so thin, she says it could get in the airways and cause some breathing problems maybe. If its dander, wouldn't just regular bathing and grooming take care of that?


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## .13124 (Jun 1, 2012)

michellerobison said:


> Probably depends on how much dust or dander they pick up in their hair, how long the hair is, how often to brush them or bathe,if they have carpet or tile. Where they live and dust and so on since asthma can be triggered by these...
> I have asthma and our kitty can trigger allergies.. if pollen is bad, it will trigger an asthma attack when Harry brings in pollen on his fur...


I had not considered the other factors of how long the hair is and what they can bring in from outside! Thanks for mentioning that. Right now all our dogs are on the shorter side, the shih tzu had it almost floor length but now she's a btg shorter about 5 inches. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## StevieB (Feb 2, 2012)

I'm not a doctor, but I am sure dogs don't cause asthma, I think kids either have it or they don't. Now if they're allergic to dogs, the reaction could cause an asthma attack. We had a dog when my kids were babies (a different dog) and none of my kids are allergic to animals nor do they have asthma or any food allergies. And my husband had terrible asthma as a kid. My oldest does have bad seasonal allergies, which he inherited from my husband. I am a believer that it's better for children to be exposed to animals and germs from early on. Even sickness. When my kids started preschool, they had colds ALL THE TIME, plus whatever else was going around. But now they rarely get sick. I think the germaphobia has gotten out of hand and people are so focused on the things that are not going to get a kid sick (like dogs, shopping carts, the floor), yet don't think twice about taking them to daycare, church, or preschool which is where they are going to get sick. So I would encourage your mom to talk to a pediatrician and do more research. I have never once heard having a dog or cat in the house can negatively affect pregnancy or the unborn child, except for cat poop. I know preggos are supposed to stay away from cat poop but we don't have a cat so this was not an issue for me.


----------



## ladodd (Jan 8, 2012)

I had asthma as a child, but outgrew it in my early teens. We have always had dogs. I had a love for cats when I was younger but am horribly allergic. I have two sons one had asthma as a child, has outgrown it and tolerates all animals with no issues. My other son, did not have asthma, but is allergic to cats and most dogs, not ours though. I have never heard or even thought that animals cause asthma.


----------



## Grace'sMom (Feb 22, 2012)

It's lack of being outdoors and a world bathed in hand sanitizer...

Kids today don't play in dirt like we used to. When I was a baby it was said that like by a child's 4th or 5th birthday they would have eaten like a bushel basket full of dirt....

And now kids just aren't outside.

Pets can be really good for children because they expose them to dirt......


----------



## .13124 (Jun 1, 2012)

StevieB said:


> I'm not a doctor, but I am sure dogs don't cause asthma, I think kids either have it or they don't. Now if they're allergic to dogs, the reaction could cause an asthma attack. We had a dog when my kids were babies (a different dog) and none of my kids are allergic to animals nor do they have asthma or any food allergies. And my husband had terrible asthma as a kid. My oldest does have bad seasonal allergies, which he inherited from my husband. I am a believer that it's better for children to be exposed to animals and germs from early on. Even sickness. When my kids started preschool, they had colds ALL THE TIME, plus whatever else was going around. But now they rarely get sick. I think the germaphobia has gotten out of hand and people are so focused on the things that are not going to get a kid sick (like dogs, shopping carts, the floor), yet don't think twice about taking them to daycare, church, or preschool which is where they are going to get sick. So I would encourage your mom to talk to a pediatrician and do more research. I have never once heard having a dog or cat in the house can negatively affect pregnancy or the unborn child, except for cat poop. I know preggos are supposed to stay away from cat poop but we don't have a cat so this was not an issue for me.


That's interesting and also makes sense about them getting sick a lot early on, and tend to be healthier as they age. I know I have a cousin that was very protected as a child, and now can get sick easily, she even had some kind of environmental skin allergy for a time. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## .13124 (Jun 1, 2012)

ladodd said:


> I had asthma as a child, but outgrew it in my early teens. We have always had dogs. I had a love for cats when I was younger but am horribly allergic. I have two sons one had asthma as a child, has outgrown it and tolerates all animals with no issues. My other son, did not have asthma, but is allergic to cats and most dogs, not ours though. I have never heard or even thought that animals cause asthma.


I didn't know asthma could go away! There's just so many factors to think into this, it's overwhelming! But from the articles provided & other responses it seems that dogs are OK  


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## .13124 (Jun 1, 2012)

Grace'sMom said:


> It's lack of being outdoors and a world bathed in hand sanitizer...
> 
> Kids today don't play in dirt like we used to. When I was a baby it was said that like by a child's 4th or 5th birthday they would have eaten like a bushel basket full of dirt....
> 
> ...


I totally agree. My parents, and even my siblings were raised near farmland, so we were used to playing outdoors most of the time, with dirt or animals and climbing trees. We're fairly healthy, mostly my parents. I tell my mom that the same needs to be done with our future generations, but she says its different here because there's so many chemicals around is in the dirt and some even air, and where they/we were raised it was just natural. She developed allergies after being exposed to chemicals in the farm land where she worked for a bit many years ago here in California. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------

