Children suffering from eczema and dermatitis may be at risk when exposed to pet hair and gas heaters according to a report from the Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Munich Technical University, Munich, Germany.

The researchers investigated possible causal links between allergens including arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury, as well as tobacco smoke, pet keeping, and heating systems to see if they could establish whether any had significant effects on the occurrence of atopic eczema in children.

The researchers based their study on school children aged between 5-14 years, taking a a blood and urine analyse, dermatological examination and questionnaire. A total of 2200 school children from two different areas, one a polluted industrial area and the other an agricultural control region, participated in the study.

The researchers found that the overall occurrence of atopic eczema was 2.6%, with a slightly higher occurrence in the industrial area of 2.9%.

Analysis of the blood and urine did not reveal statistically significant associations between the eczema and tobacco smoke exposure, or the body burden of arsenic and the heavy metals. However, the eczema was significantly more frequent in those children with eczema in the family history and those who reported keeping guinea pigs. Fortunately for pet lovers, there was no link established between other pets, including dogs, cats, and hamsters.

The other significant finding was a decreased risk of eczema in households with a central heating system, compared to the presence of a gas heater with an exhaust pipe connection.