Researcher discusses the impact of companion animals on child development

Professor Carri Westgarth, Professor of Human-Animal Interaction, University of Liverpool, is the author of a recently published paper article in BMC Pediatrics on companion animals and children’s developmental outcomes.

Here she speaks with Dr. Vanessa Ashall, HAI Technical Lead at Waltham Petcare Science Institute, to explain the findings:

Tell us about the methodology of the study.

We designed the study to assess the association between pet ownership and developmental outcomes in children, such as emotional health, behavioral and cognitive development, language skills, and educational attainment.

We used data from questionnaires and direct observations of 2- to 18-year-old children from the Children of the 90s study (also known as Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children – ALSPAC), which followed approximately 14,000 children born in 1991 /92. . Using well-designed longitudinal data and adjusting for confounders (other factors that may also influence the children’s outcomes) helped us avoid bias and examine a range of outcomes.

Our study aimed to address gaps in our understanding of the impact of social relationships on the health and well-being of children and adolescents, as previous studies have primarily focused on interactions between people. We had the opportunity to build on the growing research into HAI and the impact of pet ownership, specifically adjusting for many potential confounders – where previous research was limited.

What were the most important findings?

We have identified a number of key outcomes, described below, to support existing research related to pet ownership and child development. We have also identified some areas that require additional research to better understand the results.

Language Development: We looked at a range of communication scores to assess language acquisition and development. One finding was that children with pets had higher comprehension scores at age five. This could indicate that owning animals can boost communication and vocabulary building within the home.

Our findings support previous observations that owning animals can facilitate language acquisition and that the presence of dogs also influences reading skills in school-age children.

Prosocial behavior: Owning a dog or an ‘other type of pet’ (such as small fur-bearing animals or fish) was associated with improved positive social behavior at age 3, such as sharing, cooperating and being considerate of others.

Lower education level: This was the first study on pet ownership and education level. Interestingly, we found that pet ownership was consistently associated with lower educational attainment, across key milestones. We cannot draw definitive conclusions from this and this requires further research.

Cognitive development: The study identified some behavioral problems in a small number of pet-owning children, such as increased hyperactivity in cat owners at age 3. Rather than being causal, this may reflect families getting a pet to support children with developmental delays and neurodiversity. .

Why is controlling for confounders such as socioeconomic status and maternal mental health critical in this study?

External factors can significantly confuse the results. For example, a child from a lower socio-economic background is less likely to have access to good educational materials, which could incorrectly attribute developmental problems to pet ownership. By adjusting these factors, we can more accurately assess how pets contribute to children’s development.

What are the specific challenges you have identified with this research method?

The biggest challenge was the complexity of the relationships between pets, children and their families. It is not always clear whether having a pet affects a child’s development, or whether families with certain characteristics, such as those with children who experience developmental problems, are more likely to adopt pets. It is also worth noting that our observed effect sizes were mostly small and may not relate to clinically significant differences for individuals.

What do you think this study has added to our overall understanding of the meaning of the human-animal bond?

This study provides a more detailed insight into how pets contribute to children’s development, especially in the areas of social skills and language. It has also provided some interesting areas for further research.

What other research methods do you think should be used to help us build on this understanding?

To build on our understanding, we would need to use a range of additional research approaches, such as in-depth interviews or observational research or randomized controlled trials, to unravel some of the complexity of the data and help establish causality.

Longitudinal studies such as these are useful for observing trends over time. However, collecting more detailed data on the nature of children’s relationships with their pets – such as why they acquired a pet, the time spent together, and the quality of the relationship – would provide deeper insight into how and why pets influence children’s development.

What other gaps in HAI research do you think should be addressed as a priority?

I hope this study leads to more rigorous, longitudinal studies examining specific developmental outcomes in different companion animal species. This study opens the door for future research into education and wellness interventions, where pets can be used not only for companionship, but also as a support to improve social interactions and skills in children and adults.