Air quality advisories issued in 5 provinces, 1 territory
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
Children who live with cats or dogs during fetal development and early infancy may be less likely than other kids to develop food allergies, according to a new study.
The study, published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One, analyzed data from over 65,000 children from Japan. It found that children exposed to cats or indoor dogs had a 13 per cent to 16 per cent lower risk of all food allergies compared with babies in pet-free homes.
"Our findings suggest that exposure to dogs and cats might be beneficial against the development of certain food allergies, thereby alleviating concerns about pet keeping and reducing the burden of food allergies," the authors wrote.
The study found that children exposed to cats were less likely to develop egg, wheat and soybean allergies, while those exposed to dogs were less likely to have egg, milk and nut allergies.
Although there was no association between turtles and birds and food allergies, hamster exposure during fetal development was linked with nearly twice the risk of nut allergies. The authors speculate that nuts that hamsters consume may sensitize infants through physical contact or house dust.
The exact mechanism remains unclear, but experts say pet exposure may strengthen an infant's gut microbiome, either directly or indirectly though changes in the parent's or home microbiome.
"We know from a lot of studies that the microbiome -- which are the bacteria that live within us, thousands and millions of them inside everybody's gut -- affect our immune responses and our immune system, particularly whether we develop allergies or not," said Dr. Amal Assa'ad, director of the Food Allergy Program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, who was not involved with the new research.
Dr. Jonathan Bernstein, president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, says dirt and other materials secreted by pets could be a good thing.
"It is critical to have these exposures early on as the immune system is developing, as the gut is developing, because it does seem to be an important route for sensitization," said Bernstein, who was not involved with the study.
Previous research has had mixed results. Some have linked pet exposure to decreased risk of food allergy, but others have found no association.
"The data is all over the place," Assa'ad said.
Although the researchers on the new study accounted for several factors that could influence the participant's risk of food allergy -- including mother's age, history of allergic disease, smoking status and place of residence -- they say it's possible that other factors influenced the results.
Additionally, food allergy data was self-reported, which relies on accurate diagnosis from participants, the researchers say.
"There's a need to really confirm these types of studies," Bernstein said. "So I wouldn't necessarily change lifestyles based on this data, but I wouldn't certainly get rid of pets in the home."
Experts hope these results can help guide research into the drivers behind childhood food allergies and reassure pet owners.
"If you're thinking about having an animal and you're concerned because you have allergies ... there may be an added benefit to having an animal, not just in terms of what it does for families and people's general love of pets, but also, it could be potentially protective if there's an early life exposure," Bernstein said.
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
Hollywood actor Steve Buscemi has been treated for injuries after being punched in the face while walking in New York City.
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
For her latest column on CTVNews.ca, royal commentator Afua Hagan writes about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's recent visit to Nigeria, calling it a 'deeply meaningful campaign' that was about aligning their ongoing efforts to foster mental-health awareness and promoting the Invictus Games.
As a pair of wildfires burn near Flin Flon and The Pas, a number of Manitobans are being told to evacuate their homes.
Ontario will need 33,200 more nurses and 50,853 more personal support workers by 2032, the government projects — figures it tried to keep secret but were obtained by The Canadian Press.
A tiny contingent of Duke University graduates opposed pro-Israel comedian Jerry Seinfeld speaking at their commencement in North Carolina Sunday, with about 30 of the 7,000 students leaving their seats and chanting "free Palestine" amid a mix of boos and cheers.
Whether you were lucky to nab tickets to one of Taylor Swift's six sold-out Toronto concerts in November or not, a new 'fan experience' hopes to get you into the party spirit.
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
YES Theatre Young Company opened its acclaimed kids’ show, One Small Step, at Sudbury Theatre Centre on Saturday.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'