Study: Children exposed to dogs less likely to develop schizophrenia as adults

Exposure to dogs from an early age is linked to a reduced risk of developing schizophrenia - as much as 24% - later in life, according to a US-based research study from John Hopkins Children Centre in Washington.

Robert Yolken, MD from John Hopkins Children Centre and the primary researcher on the study told agencies and the journal that: "Serious psychiatric disorders have been associated with alterations in the immune system linked to environmental exposures in early life, and since household pets are often among the first things with which children have close contact, it was logical for us to explore the possibilities of a connection between the two."

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The sample space of the study consisted of 1371 people from Baltimore, USA, between the age range of 18 and 65 -- out of which 396 suffered from schizophrenia, 381 with bipolar and 594 were mentally fit, all of whom were screened for any psychiatric condition. The participants were asked whether they owned cats or dogs before the age of 12 in the next step.

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The findings revealed that the ones who were exposed to dogs before age 13 were 24% less likely of getting diagnosed with schizophrenia as adults. However, no empirical evidence could be found with dogs’ effect on bipolar disorder. The effects of a cat in reducing mental conditions in people was not clearly established either. 

A cat or a dog can strengthen the immune system of a young child plausible to hereditary schizophrenia through allergic reactions and microbe exposure apart from influencing changes in a person’s affective and neurochemistry.

Yolken explained that "The largest apparent protective effect was found for children who had a household pet dog at birth or were first exposed after birth but before age 3." 

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He further added, “There are several plausible explanations for this possible ‘protective’ effect from contact with dogs — perhaps something in the canine microbiome that gets passed to humans and bolsters the immune system against or subdues a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia.”

(With Inputs from ANI)