Are pets in the house a danger to the child?

Are pets in the home a danger to the child? This is what we will answer in the following article.

Are pets in the house a danger to the child?

Many children ask to buy a pet at home, and the mother is confused in the response to this request, not knowing whether it will be safe? Or is it dangerous to the health of the child? What should the mother do then?

Let’s get to know the most important information about pets and children:

Pets and children: the most important risks

But these positives that we mentioned do not prevent the existence of a number of negatives and risks to the health of children, namely:

1. Bacteria transfer and infection

If pets come in contact with and scratch a child’s skin, they transmit bacteria that can lead to skin rashes and many other skin diseases, and may also lead to a high temperature.

2. Pet food dangers

When a child touches or handles animal food, Salmonella can be transmitted to him, affecting the functions of the small intestine and leading to vomiting.

3. Transmission of parasites to the child

Some parasites can be transmitted from the animal to the child, such as: tapeworm, or Ancylostoma worm through the feces of these animals and it can reach the child who walks barefoot in an area contaminated with this feces.

4. Biting risks

Animal biting the child causes serious diseases, such as an infection called Pasteurella multocida, which leads to redness and swelling in the place of the bite and leads to the presence of an abscess.

5. Bronchitis

This disease is transmitted through animal dander and bird feathers that transmit bacteria called Chlamydia.

Pets and children: the most important benefits

Let’s first get to know the most important benefits of raising pets at home before we tell you the risks:

Teach the child responsibility: because he takes care of this animal and cares about its affairs, and how it can deal with it and meet its needs so that it becomes responsible from an early age.

Increasing self-confidence: A child who raises an animal and succeeds in dealing with it will feel that he has succeeded in the task and will increase his self-confidence.

Continuous activity: The presence of an animal in the house makes the child always active and energetic, because he plays with him or feeds him, and thus does not feel bored and stays away from smart devices that waste his time.

Eliminate the child’s fears: When the child deals with a pet, he is more courageous and daring, especially children who feel fears of contact with other living creatures.

Personal development: The presence of an animal in the house contributes to the development of the child’s personality and changes his temperament for the better so that he becomes more patient and firm in matters as if he is dealing with his son.

Learn communication skills: This is because the animal needs more effort in dealing with it and teaching it a lot of things. It is also difficult to understand and whoever knows how to deal with the animal becomes more capable of non-verbal communication.

Increasing the child’s immunity: As the child who keeps a pet in his house enjoys better health and increases his immunity against allergies, in the event of contact with it since childhood.

It is worth noting that scientists have interpreted that a child’s exposure to allergens at a young age, such as: dust, or fur that comes from the body of animals, may help build immunity against these diseases.

Pets and Children: Preventive Measures

In the case of raising a pet at home, you should keep these things in mind to ensure your child’s health:

Supervision from the mother: With an animal in the house, the mother must be the main one in caring for this animal, and not leave the child to deal with it completely.

Cleaning the animal: As long as the animal is in the house, it is necessary to take good care of its cleanliness, bathe it, and give it the drugs it needs to prevent diseases and fungi.

Paying attention to the hygiene of the child: You should stress your child in washing hands whenever he handles the animal, especially before eating.

House disinfection: To maintain the health of the child, you must always clean and disinfect the house, in order to reduce the chances of contamination with bacteria transmitted through the animal to the parts of the house and thus to family members.

Allocate a place for food and excrement: it is not right for the animal to eat its food in the kitchen, but to have a designated place away from public places in the house, and this of course applies to the place of stool.

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