Family Pets and Premature Babies

Parents of preemies often wonder whether having pets can affect their babies as they grow. Premature babies are at risk for a number of respiratory problems, including asthma, wheezing, and trouble breathing. The babies at greatest risk are those who were born very early or who were diagnosed with chronic lung disease (also called bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or BPD), but even moderately premature babies can have respiratory problems as they grow.

Family Pets and Your Preemie's Health Problems

As part of discharge planning, parents often ask about their pets. They wonder if the dogs and cats who are already a part of the family will increase their premature baby's risk of allergies, asthma, and other respiratory problems as they grow. The answer is complicated, and scientists still aren't exactly sure how pet ownership affects allergies and asthma. But there are many things you can do to safely keep your pet at home.

Allergies

Exposure to pets will not increase your baby's risk of developing pet allergies. Pet allergies are the body's reaction to proteins found in pets' dander, feathers, urine, and saliva. Being around pets in the early years doesn't increase the risk of pet allergies, and may even reduce it.

Asthma

The relationship between pet ownership and asthma is less clear than that between pets and allergies. When people who are allergic to dogs and cats are exposed to them, it can increase both the risk of asthma and asthma symptoms.

If your child does have asthma, especially if he or she was born prematurely, there are many things you can do to help prevent your family pets from causing severe asthma symptoms in your children. While they're not all scientifically proven to work, these measures can help by focusing on keeping your child away from pet allergens, which can cause asthma symptoms.

• Keep your pet out of your child's bedroom
• Keep pets off of sofas and other upholstered furniture
• Wash bed linens frequently, even if the pet does not go into the child's room
• Clean, hard floors are best, especially in bedrooms
• Keep carpeted floors clean with frequent vacuuming using a HEPA filtered vacuum
• Invest in a good HEPA air filter
• Keep litter boxes away from air intakes, and don't let your child change litter
• Keep your pet well groomed

Can You Keep Your Pets?

Most families of premature babies will be able to keep their pets, as long as they follow the above tips to keep pet allergens away from children. If children develop asthma, there are many ways to reduce pet allergens in your home before you think about finding another home for your beloved pet.