Millions of children in the United States have asthma, but now it doesn't necessarily mean having to get rid of the family pet.
That's because new research shows having a dog in the house may actually offer protection against asthma.
[WEB EXTRA: Pets & Asthma study]
Melissa Caballero's son Roan was born a happy healthy baby, but in the back of her mind she lives with a worry, that like his father, he might develop asthma.
"He had eczema since he was born and eczema is a sign of them having allergies and being more prone to being asthmatic," said Caballero.
"Asthma is still a severe disease people die on a daily basis due to poorly controlled asthma," said allergist and immunologist Dr. Jonathan Malka.
An estimated 6.8 million children in the U.S. suffer from asthma, which is why Malka said the results of a recent study are interesting.
Researchers in Sweden found that early exposure to dogs and farm animals appeared to reduce asthma risks in children.
"There are different types of asthma: viral, early onset allergic and ones that develop later in life that may not be allergic in origin," said Malka.
The beneficial link between pets and asthma may be what Dr. Malka refers to as the 'hygiene hypothesis', that kids these days are kept away from naturally occurring elements in the environment that could actually help strengthen their immune system, including pet dander.
While fascinating, Malka said there are still many unknowns.
"There is something to the environment that we live in but there's no only one point that leads to the answer," said Malka.
For now, Caballero is happy that she's got a dog in the house for more reasons than one.
"And it's such a good experience for kids to have that pet so it's a win-win," said Caballero.
What's still unclear is what other factors may be at play, including genetics.
But the study could be helpful for parents and pediatricians in deciding on the appropriateness and timing of early animal exposure.