Why sleeping on animal fur is best for your baby

A new study says that too much cleanliness early in life can increase susceptibility to allergies.

16:45 08 September 2014

A new research study has claimed that babies who sleep on animal fur are less likely to develop asthma. It added that too much cleanliness early in life increases susceptibility to allergies.

The research, which was presented at the European Respiratory Society’s International Congress in Munich, claims that germs in the hide and fur prime the immune system not to trigger allergies.

Dr Christina Tischer, the lead researcher in the study, who serves at the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen Research Centre, said: “Previous studies have suggested that microbes found in rural settings can protect from asthma.”

“Our findings have confirmed that it is crucial to study further the actual microbial environment within the animal fur to confirm these associations.”

Researchers followed 2,441 healthy German infants whose progress was monitored until the age of 10. 55per cent of infants who slept on animal skin fur during the first three months of life were 79per cent less likely to develop asthma by six years of age compared to those children who were not exposed to animal skin.

Based on official figures, there are more than 1.1 million children in the United Kingdom who are currently suffering from asthma.