Pets Help Prevent Allergies In Infants, Study Says

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - If you have an infant at home, a pet could be the perfect gift this Christmas to help benefit the child's health.

A new Swedish study finds that children who live with dogs or cats when they are infants are less likely to develop allergies.

SEE: CBS2's Furry Friend Finder Pet Adoptions

The more pets, the better. The study, which was published in the PLOS One journal, looked at more than 1,200 children.

About one-third of households with no pets reported allergies, and not one child who had at least five pets had allergies.