Pets, siblings and farm life cut risk of allergies

Keeping a pet, living on a farm or having brothers and sisters help to protect children against the risk of developing allergies, research confirmed today.

But a previously held belief that suffering from infectious diseases early in life also had a protective effect did not prove to be true, Danish researchers claimed.

Their study, which is published in the British Medical Journal, was based on interviews with more than 24,000 women before and after the birth of their children.

Figures have shown that Britain has the highest prevalence of eczema, asthma, hay fever and other allergies in Europe. Allergies cost the NHS £1 billion each year.

The team from the Danish Epidemiology Science Centre confirmed past studies, which have shown that early exposure to environmental microorganisms appeared to stimulate the immune system and reduce the risk of allergy.