Exposure to pets good for babies

[Catherine]

We have all been exposed to animals and we have pretty good health.

I think the cat net might have been because people thought a cat could lie on a baby's face and suffocate the child. 

I have even had older people tell me that a cat would suck a baby's breath out and kill the child. I suspect the fear goes back to the time when crib death (SIDS)was unexplained. When a baby died suddenly for no apparent reason people looked around for something to blame. I am sure many cats were blamed for things they did not do.

The children might have done better if they had the presence of a warm cat nearby. I don't know if there has ever been a study of the presence of pets and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

We do better and are healthier if we are exposed to more things. I understand it even works for some food allergies.