Dog & Me & Baby Makes Three - Chapter 3: Dogs and snogs
I was having a lovely dream that I was already up and about, feeling refreshed and energetic and washing my face with a warm facecloth. Lovely until I woke up and realised (you can predict this bit) it wasn’t a facecloth.
‘A facecloth will never love you like I do. That’s why I bury them.'
This got me thinking about Dog’s tongue and how I really don’t know where it's been.
'You didn’t ask: first my foot, then that annoying bit of my bed, then the floor near the oven, then my…bit near my tail, and then your face.'
'Yes, well, that’s why I didn’t ask.'
Since I’m in training to be a guilty mum, I thought I’d do some research (i.e. look around on the internet) about doggie germs and babies. So here goes:
Beneficial gut microflora - unexpectedly interesting! And I feel kind of fond of them now. Seems like they’re involved in everything from mood to chronic disease. I definitely want to eat more of their favourite fibre and less rubbish (actually I’ve heard I’ll appreciate more fibre for other reasons as I get more pregnant…)
And dragging myself back to the point - doggie snoggies. The first few headlines that jumped out actually scared me. There are a couple of case studies in medical journals about meningitis in newborns (meningitis?!) that they said came from dogs that licked the babies' faces.
‘What do you expect us to lick if you wrap up the interesting end?'
Of course, I immediately read the articles even though they weren’t written for random pregnant people with no medical background trying to scare themselves on the internet. So that made me worry about his hairy lickiness, the Dog.
'Are you kidding me? We lick loads of babies and they’re just fine! What about those 'beneficial gut microflora' you were so keen on a few articles ago?'
‘Relax mate. The internet has something for everyone.'
Apparently owning furry pets while you are pregnant is also a good thing.
‘Naturally. Owning furry pets while you’re not pregnant is a good thing too.'
Especially if you have a cesarian and the babies don’t get as many human germs as when they travel out via the standard route. Pets help the babies to build up the beneficial gut microflora I’m so keen on now. Some of the friendly bugs the study found in these babies may make them less likely to develop allergies and obesity (I thought all babies were a bit fat, but I think they mean when they’re older). And it seems that the more pets the better for all sorts of allergies.
Finally (I’ve saved the best for last!), its not such a bad thing to have pet and pest allergens floating about in house dust while your kids are little - it means they’re less likely to develop asthma! I am really happy to hear this. I dislike vacuuming so, so much and I think I should be able to misconstrue this research into a passable excuse. And for that alone, this afternoon was well spent.
So I feel pretty good about having Dog around now, but still a bit stressy about that meningitis thing.
‘Any chance you’ll eat a bar of soap every morning? I’ll sprinkle liver on it.’
‘Of course. I always say, if in doubt eat first and regurgitate later.’
———
So I’ve come up with this list.
How to give my baby the benefits of having Dog around, without him sharing any nasty germs:
No face-licking. Dog can get pats and treats when the baby arrives and can sniff his/her feet. But absolutely no snogging allowed - he can totally wait for a few months.
Baby-proofing. I have to do this anyway because babies are famously good at choking and strangling themselves. I’ll just add dog food and soggy toys to the list. I can feed him outside or in a pen and collect his toys into a toy box (tidy house bonus!). Another guilty-mum-in-training reminded me that babies can drown in water bowls too, so while I’m being anxious I’ll look for a baby-safe water bowl.
No more leaving land mines lying in the yard. My sister told me about this dog-poo composter. I’m going to install one in the back yard for easy clean up. This will help with my climate change anxieties which have risen faster than the global average temperature since I have had to worry about a kid’s future too.
Treat Dog for worms regularly. Apparently all intestinal worms just love sharing and are happy for your dog to share them with you! (Although I did come across the ‘old friends’ hypothesis, saying worms might actually be part of keeping our immune systems on track and preventing allergies - but I think that might be one to discuss with an actual medical professional).
Food hygiene. Dog can do without raw chicken for a while if he’s not prepared to use mouthwash afterwards.
Facts, resources and tips:
Gut microflora:
This is a long but really fun article about gut microflora. Written for the New York Times in 2013, Michael Pollan interviews a bunch of researchers who study gut microflora.
Link between dog licks and meningitis in newborns:
This article links most cases of a particular type of meningitis in newborns with exposure to pets. The illness is usually associated with bites, and is normally rare in infants - so again, no face-licking until the babies are older! In some cases the bugs are transferred from the parent (good to know if you are ever tempted to lick your baby).
A letter to the journal’s editors in response to the article above. Their review of cases agrees, but also highlights maternal transfer as a cause.
This recent case study discusses a 12 day old baby with the same type of meningitis. Seriously, wait until your baby is a few months old before allowing any face- or hand-licking.
Health benefits associated with early exposure to pets:
This research used ribosomal RNA sequencing to find out what types of bugs were living in infant guts. The results? If you have a pet during and after pregnancy, your baby has gut microflora associated with a lower childhood obesity risk (bacteria that promote leanness) and a lower food sensitivity risk. Yay dogs! (and possibly cats - this study didn't have enough dog-free cat homes to tell).
This study found that having indoor pets in the first few years of life is associated with reduced allergy risk - and that the more pets, the lower the rate of allergies. Here is an easy to read summary that explains the research in detail.
This news article from the National Institutes of Health provides my anti-vacuuming excuse: having cockroach, mouse and cat allergens in dust in first 3 years of life reduces asthma risk. Didn’t actually say dogs, but you don’t need to mention that to your mother-in-law. They provide scientific references at the end of the article.
Advice about babies and hygiene:
This article has a decent Do and Don’t list.
This one has more a bit more detail about bacteria and parasites to watch out for (and some benefits), as well as a short list of precautions you can take.
This article (from Baby Center, which provides evidence-based advice) suggests you wait for a few months for your baby’s immune system to strengthen before allowing doggie snoggies.
This article has a range of options for how you can prevent your baby from getting amongst the dog bowls.
The Dog & Baby: Safe Start program provides a personalised plan for expectant parents covering all important aspects of training and management.