Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/ask-dr.-sue-pets-and-kids/5011582/
In a recent article in a pediatric journal, a pediatrician who works with animal visitation programs in hospitals reviewed the risks and benefits of bringing animals and children together (Connelly, 1997). Some of the points the author shared with pediatricians are important for early childhood educators to know too. Including animals in child care experiences is common. Sometimes the animals visit or come to live as pets at the child care facility. Sometimes the children visit the animals on field trips.Pets teach children about how to be gentle and responsible, about life and death, and about unconditional love. However, animals can pose serious health risks that need to be controlled. For example, dog bites cause 600,000 injuries and 20 deaths a year. Nearly half of all children have been bitten by a dog by the end of high school. Allergies are the most common chronic disease for children, and many allergic children have symptoms when they are around animals. Animals can transmit infections to humans also.
To minimize the risks, adults can take specific steps. Reduce the risk of allergy problems from animals by finding out about allergies at enrollment. About 6% of the population is allergic to animals, and 25% of ...